TSoaC: Revised Version
by Jasmine Shinga
Summary: Japanese twins go to Hogwarts, amongst secrets and strange happenings. Is Dumbledore playing matchmaker on Harry and Draco?
1. Prologue

PROLOGUE  
  
A/N: Well, this is it, the revised version of TSoaC! Hopefully better than before and, now that I've read book five and several hundred new fan fictions, it ought to be a little more to the story ^_^; Heck! I didn't even remember reading parts of the story this fic mentions when I was last typing this. Reading book five made me realize that I needed to spiffy up my memory, thus I re-read it all. Now my brain hurts, but hey! This time around they'll have NEWTS! How's that for noticing a BIG ARSE ERROR!? Hm, now that I think on it I believe I'd forgotten that Harry and friends were to be studying only those classes they want to get certain jobs... Well, now that shall be ratified ^_^! Enjoy, the prologue still sucks... Chapter 1 is where it gets different ^_^;  
  
PS: Almost forgot, I may break up the story some with random me-ness, you can skip it though, I'll surround myself in numbers to you know when to tune out...  
  
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Japan International Airport  
  
"Good-bye dears, I do hope you make it to the United Kingdom alright." A middle aged woman in fabulous magenta robes hugged the girls and passed then off to their father, a well groomed man in teal silk.  
  
"You girls had better not cause too much trouble for those poor fellows at Hogwarts. They've had enough trouble these last few years." He hugged them as well and they went into the plane.  
  
Waving out the window they watched their parents get farther away as the plane took off.  
  
**Well, we're off to school. I hope there's more to do there than with the tutors.**  
  
**Anything is better than tutors, now if you don't mind, I'm going to sleep.** One settled down to rest as the other sat in the painfully cramped airline seat and tried to avoid talking to, smelling or being drooled on by an elderly lady beside them.  
  
**Just seven hours and we'll be in London. Ah, to see some _normal_ people. Chichi and Haha are fine, but they hire the oddest folk.** She sighed at her sister's snoring and settled.  
  
After the disgusting airline meal and a short nap they arrived and had to go through the innumerable lines and checks to get out of the airport and off to the parking lot.  
  
**Um... is it just me, or is that an Ogre?**  
  
**What!? Where?**  
  
**There.** She pointed and they saw an Ogre stomping about, ignored by passers-by.  
  
Sighing they headed forwards and took out their wand. With a few words the Ogre was knocked out and trussed up for the Wizarding Law Enforcement to look after.  
  
**Looks like London is going to be interesting.**  
  
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	2. Chapter the First

CHAPTER 1.0 ^(^  
  
A/N: Not too much to bother you all about, heck, I don't think I mentioned last time that I don't own all the Harry Potter crud. If you see something from the books, I don't own it, everything that seems like God was on crack when he made it... T'was me then ^_^, pet the kitty! ^(^  
  
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"Get up you ungrateful little git!"  
  
Harry rose to the loud yell at his bedroom door, Uncle Vernon gave a good pound on the door, rattling it on its hinges, before he stormed down to breakfast.  
  
Harry Potter, turned seventeen only a day prior to this overcast morning in number four Privet Drive, reached over to the nightstand in his cousin's old second bedroom for his glasses, just as said cousin pounded down the stairs to Aunt Petunia's immaculate kitchen. The scent of fried eggs and bacon drifted up in Dudley's wake, and Harry grinned with the sheer joy he felt.  
  
Pigwidgeon had arrived last night with Hedwig, who bit back her pride and accepted the hyperactive little owl's help in carrying back several large packages from Ron's house. Harry had sent letters to both of his friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, only to receive congratulatory letters from Ron's entire family (less Percy) as well as Ron, Hermione, Luna Lovegood, and the Order of the Phoenix members. Mrs Weasley had also sent an enormous triple-decker cake in the shape of a broomstick and snitch through special delivery as a sign of his seventeenth birthday, coming of age in the Wizarding world.  
  
This wasn't what cheered him up however, what made him so happy he could even be nice to Aunt Marge (if she were still on speaking terms with Uncle Vernon) was the simple, four line invitation by Dumbledore to stay at Hogwarts the remainder of the summer now that there was no more reason for Harry to recharge the protection wound into his lightning scar.  
  
The scar, given by Lord Voldemort when Harry was one, and thus leading to Voldemort's downfall, was imbued with a very powerful charm thanks to his mother. By dying while trying to protect Harry from Voldemort she had created an unbreakable shield around Harry from Voldemort, which required Harry to live with blood relatives (the Dursleys) for a period every year to repower the shield.  
  
The only hitch was suffering the Dursleys; Muggles, who were the most Muggle Muggles any Muggle could ever hope to be in the Muggle world. #Try saying that one ten times real fast ^_^# In fact, for the first ten years they had had Harry in their charge he had lived in a rather small cupboard under the Dursley's main stairway, and had never even told him of his true bloodlines or how his parents had actually died. Then he had been moved to the slightly larger second bedroom of Dudley's after the Hogwarts letter incident, where he discovered his depressing but true past.  
  
There he had stayed every summer; minus a "rescue" from Ron and his twin older brothers Fred and George just before his second year; minus his runaway attempt after blowing up Aunt Marge before his third year, thus taking his first ride on the Knight Bus under the alias Neville Longbottom; minus a trip to the Quidditch World Cup with Ron before fourth year; and of course the attack by Dementors before fifth year, almost losing him his wand and expelling him from Hogwarts, if not for Dumbledore that is. He didn't even want to think about what had happened before sixth year...  
  
For all the time he had spent in Little Whinging however, Hogwarts had always been his home.  
  
Thus it was with great joy he had accepted Dumbledore's offer, sent Hedwig off with the reply, and informed his Aunt and Uncle that he would be leaving four weeks early. His reply had mentioned that he would be staying at the Leaky Cauldron again and that Dumbledore could set up whatever transport he had in mind for Harry in the meantime.  
  
The Dursleys couldn't be happier that Harry was leaving; considering they had become rather involved in the battles leading to Harry destroying the Dark Lord once and for all, they hadn't become any nicer to him. If anything they were worse, Dudley using his Smeltings stick on Harry at every meeting and Aunt Petunia forcing him to replant every flowerbed lost over the last few months to Wizard Warfare.  
  
Of course, it didn't escape Harry that the dead begonias had been well away from the flying curses, but had replanted the pots anyways.  
  
Harry gave a great yawn and stretch, the hem of his jeans, baggy and loose though the jeans were, lifted to well above his ankles as he was now at least six foot. All of his clothes having once been Dudley's, who was short and resemblant of a pig that had been taught to stand on its haunches, they were ill suited to his tall and wiry frame. "Well, that's the first stop when I get to Diagon Alley, Madame Malkins'." He smoothed his hair as best as he could, though he knew it was hopeless, and wandered downstairs for breakfast.  
  
"'Bout time boy!" Growled his Uncle Vernon, rustling his paper ominously, "I've business in London at ten so you'd best be packed and ready or you'll be sending that ruddy owl to your friends with a plea for help next!" With that out of the way he took a swift gulp of black coffee and returned to the Financials.  
  
Harry nodded and snatched some bacon and a burnt slice of toast onto his plate. Before he was done he remembered he had to wash the dishes and flicked out his wand automatically. "Scour-"  
  
A shrill shriek caught him mid-spell and he looked over to see his Uncle's purple face and his Aunt near to fainting, frozen beside Dudley's terrified form. "PUT THAT AWAY BOY! YOU KNOW YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED!" Vernon was a colour very similar to that of an eggplant and breathing heavily through his nose. He reminded Harry of a bull ready to charge.  
  
"O," Harry lowered his wand and faced his Uncle quite calmly, grinning, "Did you forget yesterday was my birthday?" He asked in a bemused voice, taking in his ugly cousin's entire fearful visage with great relish.  
  
"What the ruddy hell has that got to do with... With... THAT!" At a loss for words for the abnormality of it he pointed at Harry's brandished wand.  
  
"Everything." Harry became quite still and serious, causing Dudley to whimper pathetically. "My birthday, means I am now of age. So I can do what I wish with _this_," he waved the wand, "and you can't do anything. What's more, doing magick before you doesn't even break the rules about magick in front of Muggles," Vernon growled as though insulted, "because as my... guardians," the word was said with distaste, "you already know about the Wizarding world." That said, Harry turned to the dirty dishes, mumbled, "Scourgify," and trooped upstairs to pack for London as the dishes washed themselves.  
  
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CHAPTER 1.1  
  
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"I knew it wouldn't take long for you to hear about it, Sirius." The figure of a very old wizard in violet robes was seated quite comfortably in a chintz armchair before the fire, talking to the clean shaven face of a man in his late thirties, long black hair tied by leather thong at the nape of his neck and looking quite pleased with himself.  
  
"Of course Albus, y' didn't think Harry would forget to tell his dear Godfather, especially after thinking I was dead for so long." A hollow look entered Sirius' eyes at that, similar to when he'd mentioned Azkaban in previous conversations.  
  
"We all know your stay with the Dark Lord was... Unpleasant," Sirius snorted at this, "but under the circumstances you held up rather well. Not everyone spends a year as the dark Lord's pet and lives, let alone is coherent afterwards." Albus smiled at Sirius' furious visage, his eyes twinkling a merry blue. "You truly were one of the heroes of the war, and did your Godson justice with that amazing bit of curse-work from Voldemort's very throne. The Lestranges will never recover you realize? Though that may have something to do with young Mr Longbottom..." They had all been surprised by how well Neville had mastered his wish to use the Cruciatus on those who had ruined his family. However, the completely legal curses he did use, so well done and so well planned that the Cruciatus was unnecessary... Well, there was a reason the Lestranges had been given a separate ward in St Mungo's.  
  
"That didn't help me get cleared though..." Sirius growled, doglike, as he remembered that the bane of his adult life, a man named Peter Pettigrew, had escaped his furious curse throwing after he had swiped a wand from a Death Eater named Nott. Sirius had been thought broken by the Dark Lord, but he had been lying in wait, partitioning his mind so part of him would break while the rest would wait for the moment to strike. None had expected him to be in any condition to run, let alone take out forty Death Eaters before he collapsed onto the Portkey Harry had thrown his way.  
  
After he woke up in Poppy's ward in July he had immediately been filled in by Dumbledore, the Dark Lord was gone, Pettigrew had escaped well out of the country, and the Ministry of Magick was being led by a new Minister, a Madame Bones, who had removed the price on Sirius' head and instead placed him in Dumbledore's care until Pettigrew could be caught and forced into court with Sirius.  
  
So, Sirius was at number twelve Grimmauld Place and asking his temporary legal guardian if he could come to Hogwarts to stay near Harry.  
  
"However," Sirius winced at Dumbledore, he well knew that anything beginning with however, that directly followed praise, was in no way good, "you know as well as I do that the Wizengamot's orders are that under no circumstances are you to enter Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, or the surrounding country in a radius of one hundred kilometres without being cleared." Sirius looked crestfallen, "You do not know that the Chief Warlock wrote in an amendment-"  
  
Sirius cut in, "But you _are_ the Chief Warl- O... Ooooh..." Sirius grinned boyishly.  
  
"Yes, the amendment states that you may enter Hogwarts or the surrounding area, providing you are in accompaniment of an escort of seven Aurors." Dumbledore's eyes glinted mischievously, "I knew you'd be wanting to see Harry, and as Chief Warlock I have great trust that you are innocent..."  
  
"So you wrote in the amendment?"  
  
"Precisely, so... Shall we pay Alastor and his friends a visit?"  
  
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CHAPTER 1.2  
  
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Severus Snape glanced up from his latest experiment, noting the time on the serpent clock above his mantel. He double-checked a very old and dusty book, its leather bindings cracked with age and spattered with droplets of grey substance.  
  
"Hm... 'Add four pinches dried Boomslang tongue, simmer on low flame for seven hours...' Well, I might as well join them now." Severus rose from his cauldron after completing the last step and, after checking that all of his locking enchantments and jinxes were well intact, he closed his chamber doors and headed up the stairs from the gloomy dungeon.  
  
He swept his billowing cloak across Filch's immaculately clean main hall.  
  
Filch stood in a corner, watching him and grumbling that in only a few short weeks the castle would be infested once more with underage delinquents and there would be no hope of getting the floors clean again until next summer. Mrs Norris mewled in agreement before they both disappeared into a darkened passageway.  
  
Up the grand stone staircase, a Gargoyle leering down at him that reminder him uncannily of Peeves, and into a secret passage on the fourth floor that led to the twin Gargoyles that marked off the staff room. Severus took a moment to listen at the door...  
  
"...Course Minerva, we really can't expect too much but..." Flitwick's high voice greeted his ear.  
  
"... Think I don't know..." McGonagall's tones replied.  
  
Thankfully, they had finished discussing the usual problems like student fraternization and Filch closing up certain passages that had benefited the students' like of sweets. They seemed to be fighting over NEWTs and OWLs this time.  
  
Finding it to be safe to enter when McGonagall and Flitwick gave their final arguments Severus entered.  
  
"Good Afternoon Albus." He bowed to the Headmaster and took a seat in his favourite black armchair.  
  
"Severus, late as usual." Dumbledore smiled, "We might have to give a detention one of these days." Severus didn't smile. "Ahem, now then, we have heard both of your arguments. Flitwick, you want us to accept a lower level of perfection in the Defence Against the Dark Arts NEWTs and OWLs. Minerva, you are convinced that the DA, or 'Dumbledore's Army' has given sufficient training to pass any examination. I have to say, after the show our students put on in June during their examinations..." Nothing more was needed to be said.  
  
They had all witnessed the cunning, perfect aim, and amazing strategic organization of students they had thought of as children. Those 'children' had taken out more Death Eaters and foul beasts in the final battle than Sirius, the Ministry's Aurors and the staff combined.  
  
"I must agree that they have proven to be more than competent, Auror level at least, despite the many... under qualified teachers they have had in the past. We still do not know if our new Dark Arts instructor will be up to scratch, thus I am naming the DA an official Hogwarts class, to be attended by those in third year or above on their choice. Also, the instructors are to be given a minor budget and pay."  
  
Severus' eyebrows disappeared. "Albus, you can't be serious." He managed to keep his voice calm and lower his eyebrows before anyone turned his way.  
  
"Indeed, I am. Mr Potter, Mr Longbottom, Mr Weasley and Miss Granger will all be paid for continuing to run the DA. I'd like to think of it as fine training for Miss Granger who will be replacing dear Professor Vector next year, and the others will need a little forewarning of taking command, as they are to be Aurors." The discussion was closed then. The teachers broke off into little groups to discuss their lesson plans for the year, how to mesh the right level of training together for the large amount of Aurors they would be finishing training with this year.  
  
Severus glided over to Dumbledore from his armchair and gave him a questioning look. Dumbledore merely smiled.  
  
"I suppose you're wondering who took your favoured post _again_?"  
  
"Naturally."  
  
"Well, you would know him, though you haven't seen each other in years."  
  
"Not another convert I hope, I can't stand too many Death Eaters in the school, competing with me for the students' hatred."  
  
Dumbledore chuckled, "No, none like that, the new professor goes by Wolfgang Kreuser."  
  
"HIM!? You're MAD!" Snape stormed from the room, growling about the madness of old men.  
  
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CHAPTER 1.3  
  
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"Ngh! Hedwig, stop it... Stop... OW!" Harry sat up, wide awake and rubbing his nose after Hedwig had given it an unusually hard pinch. "All right you pest, I'm up." Harry growled, glaring at Hedwig, she ruffled her feathers and looked at him in the same miffed posture before Harry's face broke into a grin and he laughed heartily at their little spat.  
  
"So, why the early waking?" Harry fed her a treat as he glanced out over the still sleeping Diagon Alley out his open window. Hedwig lifted her leg for Harry to see the bit of writing on the letter.  
  
Mr H. Potter Room Twelve, The Leaky Cauldron Diagon Alley London  
  
"Sirius?" Hedwig shook her head, "Dumbledore?" Another shake. "Ron or Hermione?" More shakes. Harry shrugged and opened the envelope, noticing the Hogwarts seal on it and understanding dawned. Four leafs of parchment fell out, Harry snatched up the school list first off.  
  
New supplies required by the schedule you have applied for this, your final year:  
  
+ Advanced Spell Components Kit + Dress Robes + New Dragonhide Gloves with double thickness + Protective Combat Robes + Wand Holster; Fitted  
  
Harry paused, thought on the last few items, then continued.  
  
Additional books you will need:  
  
+ Advanced Potions for Aurors-To-Be by Severus Snape + Rare and Dangerous Beasts by Skaer D. Stiffe + Perfecting Your Battle Skills: Revised Edition by Alastor Moody + Recognizing an Enemy by Constance Vigilance  
  
Harry grunted, "So Snape's got that book done eh? Well, it'll be a pain to read but we know the man has brains where a cauldron is concerned, right?" Hedwig hooted in agreement. "And Moody's is in circulation again... That's sure to be full of references isn't it?" Hoot, they both knew what the references would be of too.  
  
"Well, Madame Malkin is going to love me after a trip to her shop today, as though she didn't already appreciate the full wardrobe I bought yesterday while you were out. Better read the rest though..."  
  
The next piece was in Sirius' hand to be sure, Harry shot Hedwig a dirty look for lying, to which she indicated that not only Sirius had written.  
  
Harry,  
  
As you know, Dumbledore's managed to get me under lock and key outside Azkaban, but he kept a trick up his sleeve on us! I can visit Hogwarts when you get here, you'll even be able to see Tonks and Mad-Eye as I require a seven Auror escort apparently.  
  
I may be dangerous, but only to a man in cloak and mask!  
  
Whatever, you'll be seeing an older friend on the train next month, yes the train. I'll let Dumbledore's letter explain that one to you, apparently there's also some surprise Dumbledore'll let you find out on the train, he's going all quiet on me about that one though.  
  
See you in a couple months Harry!  
  
Sirius  
  
Now Harry was eager to read the next letters, he shifted past the one from McGonagall noting that his timetable was sure to be unusual due to the fact it was training for an Auror. It contained a comment at the bottom praising him for the amazing results of his final exams the previous year, and that Snape was in a state of shock that he'd even survived to take the exam, let alone pass equal to Hermione.  
  
Harry flitted an eye to the first line of Dumbledore's letter.  
  
Harry,  
  
I realize this may upset you as you were quite looking forward to spending some extra time at Hogwarts, however I will require your presence on the train this year. I apologize, however your friend Ron should be arriving by Portkey sometime on Tues-  
  
Harry stopped reading as a loud pop noise announced Ron's arrival two feet from Harry's left shoulder, an old wooden bowl clutched in one hand. Harry dropped the letter as with a loud CRACK Hermione Apparated next to Ron and ran up to Harry, knocking him over with a tight hug.  
  
"*cough* Herm- *gack* you *choke* air *erg* off!" Harry was left gasping on the floor after Hermione's hug.  
  
"And she calls herself the brains... She could've killed you mate, 'specially with a grip like she's got... ACK!" Ron stopped and dived behind Harry as Hermione made to throttle him. "She's dangerous, been at my house for the last two days and tried t' kill me every twenty minutes!" Ron peeked out from behind Harry, hiding horribly as he was at least six three and lanky.  
  
"Hm, nice to see dating hasn't changed you two at all."  
  
"Naw mate, we'd still take bites at each other. Hell, in June she was harping about my shoddy spell work even when I knocked that slug the Ministry claimed was Crabbe's dad away from her." Ron latched an arm around Hermione, who blushed.  
  
"At least you figured out how to properly cast a Slug Belching Curse, the last thing we'd've needed is you out of commission, you watched 'Mione's back better than Moody." Harry had refolded the letters and stored them in his trunk, two loud CRACKs behind him signalled the Twins' Apparation. "Wondered when you'd get here, shop's closed then?"  
  
Fred beamed at Harry, "Not much point in opening it with the semester not even started yet."  
  
Ron did a little dance for joy, "You got the premises in Hogsmeade?"  
  
"Yeah," George grinned and handed them a Skiving Snackbox each and an Extendable Ear, "wasn't too difficult as there's not much but empty lots for sale there. They got a new tavern for Hagrid though, and the Hog's Head is still around, was far enough from the blast." He glanced at Harry with a look of pride.  
  
"So your mum's not too upset about the Jokeshop anymore then?" Harry pulled his sneakers on and brought out his money pouch from his trunk.  
  
"Ruddy obvious isn't it?" Fred laughed.  
  
"Still thinks we should settle for nice, cushy jobs in the Ministry, but..."  
  
"With how much those buggers have screwed up in the last two years we say no."  
  
"Plus, when she saw the first year's takings and the new set of kitchenware we got her she stopped complaining too loudly."  
  
Ron groaned, "Of course Ginny's been bugging them for weeks that she should get a discount since she's family. Mum hated that, told her it'd ruin her chances at Head Girl."  
  
George and Fred had to hold their sides for laughter, "You should've seen the look she gave Mum, would've done Snape justice! Ginny's studying to be a Mediwitch, but I'd say her success is mostly due to the fact she causes a lot of the odd ones that come into Poppy's ward nowadays; Prefect sure doesn't stop her pulling a good one."  
  
"Reminds me, 'Mione, did you get the Head Girl-" Ron shot him a dirty look that signified she hadn't, neither had he gotten the Head Boy position. Hermione was oddly quiet.  
  
"Well, Dumbledore made one hell of a mistake then. If anyone could keep those ruddy brats in line it'd be our Hermione, don't think we didn't see that Immobulus, why d'you think Sirius caught so many Death Eaters?" Fred and George gave her a hug and then Disapparated with a CRACK and an "All right Harry!"  
  
Ron and Hermione gathered Harry up and they wandered out to the newly awakened Diagon Alley for a day of blissful shopping, and ice-cream.  
  
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CHAPTER 1.4  
  
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"Well then? Are you ready for your final mission?" A hunched old wizard in grey robes stood before a far younger man, his hooked nose and sallow skin, framed by black hair not taking away from the powerful charm he kept well locked up.  
  
The usually biting voice and cruel honesty in his comments was lowered to a respectful rumble, "Of course sir, I will be on the lookout for the next Dark Power. But, my last you say?" His voice did not betray the slight worry he felt.  
  
"According to the Serpent this one will be the last, it will be our last need to balance and a time of great purity will come." The old wizard's voice began to wheeze.  
  
"I shall do as asked, I will find him."  
  
"Perhaps."  
  
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	3. Chapter the Second

CHAPTER 2  
  
A/N: Hm... Wow... I wrote something that wasn't considered rubbish or indecent, I need to go talk to the cat now. She's my psychiatrist you know ^(^  
  
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**Well, we can safely say we're not in Japan anymore.** A velvety voice comments, laced with good humour. A large noisy plane takes off and then rumbles overhead as it leaves the local airspace.  
  
**You think?** another velvety voice responds, with a bite of sarcasm.  
  
**What are you so cranky about Sinjaria? You didn't have to put up with that insufferable old lady in the other seat, or the airline meal,** the speaker grimaced in remembrance of the bacon and eggs she'd eaten. They had reminded her of cardboard and grade school paste.  
  
Sinjaria rolled her eyes, **Just get us to the Express before it leaves Talianna.**  
  
**Hai, hai. Now,** Talianna puzzled and looked around the parking lot they had arrived at, **where's our car? Did Haha say it was a red or a blue Beetle she rented for us?** She tripped on the curb and hit the ground.  
  
**Blue, Twinkletoes.** and invisible grin formed in Talianna's mind. **Is the asphalt _that_ interesting? I should check it out sometime.**  
  
**Ho, ho. You're a barrel of laughs Sinjaria.** Talianna commented wryly as she gingerly picked her battered form off the ground.  
  
**C'mon, we have only an hour before the train leaves,** Sinjaria growled as Talianna hopped in the right-hand side and gripped the wheel.  
  
**I'll never get used to driving such a big car...** Slapping the car into gear Talianna pulled out of the lot and headed for the expressway towards London Train station. "Kuso!" She swore when they ran into heavy traffic.  
  
**We could make better time by walking you realize." Sinjaria murmured disjointedly. # I sometimes feel that way about riding the public bus #  
  
**I know, hey, are you feeling tired? You _have_ been up all day you know.** Talianna was concerned and her voice showed it.  
  
**Felt better, I'll live.** Sinjaria yawned at the end.  
  
**Rest then.** Talianna coaxed.  
  
**No really...** Sinjaria protested.  
  
**REST!** Talianna stated sharply, **This is no time to argue, I'm in control and I don't want to force you.**  
  
**But I really don't-** Sinjaria attempted to make one last plea with her sister before being cut off.  
  
**REST!** Talianna's voice roared and thundered.  
  
Talianna heard no response other than gentle snoring. **Good girl,** they continued on for nearly an hour with Sinjaria being disturbed at intervals by Talianna's fervent curses at the congested traffic and her running up against the curb.  
  
**Hm, I didn't know that one, talking to drunks again?**  
  
**You know very well that entire incident was your fault you nasty, hateful little...**  
  
*Hey, no need to get rude!**  
  
**Truck!**  
  
**Truck? What the...**  
  
Sinjaria looked around the traffic and realised Talianna was grumbling about an ugly brown pickup that had swung into the wrong lane and locked bumpers with another Volkswagon, now swearing heavily at the opposing driver with an American accent. The girls listened to a police cab roar closer, and settled in for a good long wait before the traffic cop would let them all go.  
  
A few minutes before the train was scheduled to leave for their new school they arrived at the station. They hopped out of the Volkswagon after parking it and rushed with bags in hand to the platforms.  
  
**I swear on my broomstick that I will learn to Apparate while we're in Britain!**  
  
**Wouldn't help in this case, you can't Apparate to Hogwarts.**  
  
**Ne? I meant we wouldn't have to bother with the whole driving mess! Baka Tal-chan...**  
  
Without a backwards glance and with bags in tow they hopped though the red brick wall to Platform 9 ¾.  
  
"We're here!" Talianna grinned.  
  
**And there goes the train.** Sinjaria interjected, **we're going to miss it if you don't hurry.**  
  
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CHAPTER 2.1  
  
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Just moments before...  
  
"C'mon Ron! Hold that ruddy bird still and go!" Harry ducked past a couple of oblivious Muggles and through to Platform 9¾. Ron grabbed his escaped and hyperactive owl Pigwidgeon, began rolling his cart, and made it onto the Platform with five minutes to spare.  
  
They both loaded their trunks on to the Hogwarts Express and began the route to their favourite compartment. Inside they found Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom with his Mimbulus Mimbletonia, Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger already seated and squashed onto the cushy seats.  
  
With hardly much room to breathe in they sat, Neville and Luna poring over an obscure little article in the Quibbler and talking animatedly.  
  
Hermione was berating Ron about not finishing his homework immediately, "But 'Mione! I had a Dark Lord to fight, how'd you expect me to get it done?" "That's no excuse, I was doing mine between skirmishes!" "Yeah, well some of the homework is useless for you, your teacher's dead!"  
  
At this they all paused and took a moment of silence for the expired Professor Sinistra of the Astronomy class before returning to their respected conversations, Ginny and Harry became engrossed in a new Quidditch book Harry had purchased on impulse while in Diagon Alley.  
  
Several minutes later they felt the train move and heard Dumbledore rapping on the door.  
  
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CHAPTER 2.2  
  
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They were running swiftly after the escaping train when they saw the caboose door open. A tall, slender and aged man stepped out onto the railed platform. A pointed hat sat atop his head and he was draped in violet robes.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore!" Talianna shouted, while still attempting to catch the train. "Could you help us aboard?" she gasped.  
  
"Pardon? 'Us', oh you must be our new students." he smiled at them and pointed his wand, "Accio student!" Talianna and Sinjaria levitated swiftly above the ground and forwards to the train before landing in front of Professor Dumbledore.  
  
"Thanks Professor." Talianna pulled a small gold handkerchief from her pocket and wiped their brow. "I'm not sure how much longer we would have been able to run after this train."  
  
Dumbledore gave them a funny look then ushered them inside, "Come now, we'll find you a seat so you may rest your feet. Here should be some space, if I can just locate their compartment..." The old wizard led them down the aisle, darting his head occasionally into rooms they passed by.  
  
"Ah, here we are. Harry, you don't mind if I place a new student in here with you?" Dumbledore nodded at the answer, "Thank-you Harry." He turned back to Talianna and Sinjaria, "In you go!"  
  
Dumbledore leaned close to Harry's ear and whispered, "Surprise Harry, I expect you to fill her in. Sirius will meet you in the Room of Requirement this evening at eight, after you visit Hagrid of course."  
  
Harry grinned and nodded.  
  
The girls entered the cramped compartment as Dumbledore bustled away, off on one errand or another at the front of the train.  
  
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CHAPTER 2.3  
  
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"Never thought I'd lose that did I?" A handsome young man with a pale, pointed face, silver-blue eyes and long silver hair grumbled to his raven Purity. "No one could expect to have their family name become mud to anyone who matters. If dad thinks I'm joining his Order now he's barking." Purity made a humming noise deep in his throat, indicating agreement.  
  
"It is all their fault right? Dad was in the Order, it's not _his_ fault their Power was the Dark Lord this time around. Sure, dad's a Dark Wizard but that doesn't mean he was like those nasty beasts that were following the Dark Lord for power instead of Power." He grimaced and held his head, "They really messed up now. Hell, even I have trouble working out why they'd go so far as the Dark Mark just for a temporary Power.  
  
"C'mon, the Serpent even _told_ them the Dark Lord was going to be the Power vanquished this time. Like Grindelwald..." The boy stopped talking when he heard a wizard's light footsteps going by the compartment before his and up to his door.  
  
The compartment door slid open with a slight scraping noise, and Dumbledore stepped in.  
  
The boy slipped into his calm, bored pose and prepared himself to do the same with his voice.  
  
"Mr Malfoy." Dumbledore greeted him.  
  
"Professor." Draco gave a curt nod.  
  
"Why all alone Mr Malfoy?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Anyone you'd expect to be here is either dead or unwilling to sit with a man whose family is in ill repute. Crabbe and Goyle are being deposited directly on school grounds, their fathers' trials don't begin for quite a while yet but they are under ministry supervision for using curses against several staff members, as you would well know." Draco curled his lip in an impressive imitation of his father's usual sneer. "Didn't do much but get them in trouble did it?"  
  
Dumbledore nodded, "I noticed you didn't participate in the battle either way."  
  
"Bit hard to throw curses while dragging your mother's corpse home." Draco's eyes took on the hollow look Sirius got whenever mentioning something like that.  
  
"Indeed." Dumbledore stood to leave, "I wonder just how many will be able to see the Thestrals this year..." He mused as he shut the compartment door, leaving Draco to sort out some of his feelings with the quiet raven.  
  
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CHAPTER 2.4  
  
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"Hello, my name is Hermione Granger," a bushy haired young lady in sparkling, crisp Hogwarts' robes looked up from her copy of "The Standard Book of Spells: Grade 7", she closed the leather bound text gently and set it aside as the girls entered.  
  
"Ginny Weasley!" Called Ginny from Harry's Quidditch book.  
  
"Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood." Neville, clutching his beloved Mimbulus in one arm as it had grown considerably over the summer, and Luna nodded politely at the girls, then returned to their magazine.  
  
"I'm Ron Weasley, and this is Harry Potter." Ron was red haired and slightly shabby looking, he pointed next to the black-headed boy beside him. The boy had a very interesting scar peeking out from his chaotic hair.  
  
They were a bit surprised when Talianna shook Harry's hand and seemed not to know who Harry _was_.  
  
"How is it you are so calm, most girls who meet Harry go nuts." Stated Ron in awe.  
  
"Why?" Talianna asked, her left eyebrow lifting carefully.  
  
**Is he some sort of hunk? He looks kind of scrawny to me.** Sinjaria looked appraisingly along Harry's form.  
  
"Because he's the one who defeated You-know-who."  
  
"Iie, I don't know who. Explain."  
  
"Voldemort, the most powerful dark wizard this century." Harry said with a grave look on his face. "You really don't know what I'm talking about do you?" He sighed at the puzzled look on her face.  
  
**Oh brother! Tal-chan you weren't listening to Chichi were you? ... That was rhetorical.** Grumbled Sinjaria when Talianna attempted to argue the matter. **Voldemort tried to force the whole Wizarding community to bow to him. 16 years ago Potter, who was the only one to survive his curse, ruined him. Voldemort went into hiding for a while, re-emerged when Potter was eleven, and finally killed him two years ago. Too bad about that though, but at least his minions are still around!**  
  
**You always root for the bad guys Sin-chan.**  
  
**They're so much more interesting though.**  
  
Talianna snapped back to attention when she realized Harry had finished explaining just what Sinjaria had and was looking at her funny expecting an answer of some type.  
  
"I'm sorry what was that?" She asked in her most polite manner, unable to figure out a universal answer for the question she had missed.  
  
Harry sighed again, "I asked you what your name is. And where are you from?" **She's as dreamy as Luna...**  
  
"Oh." She flushed scarlet from ear tips to toe tips.  
  
**Don't introduce me!** Sinjaria interrupted.  
  
**Well duh! We don't need any complications this early; though it would be nice to have something to talk about on our way to Hogwarts. And we are _so_ interesting!**  
  
**Find something else then.**  
  
**Answer him already, he's looking funny at us again.**  
  
Talianna swallowed a sharp retort and focused on Harry. "My name is Yakinimata Talianna, I'm from Hyokusaku Island, Japan and just got to London this morning."  
  
"A pleasure to meet you Yakinimata..." Hermione broke off when Talianna burst out laughing. "What?"  
  
"My name is Talianna..." She erupted in giggles again.  
  
"But you said..." Ron began.  
  
"In Japan you give your family's name first and then your birth name." Talianna wiped tears of mirth from her green/gold eyes.  
  
"Oh." The trio said in unison, embarrassed. Then laughed at their predictability.  
  
After a few moments Hermione began again, "As I was trying to say, you seem to be far too old for a first year." Harry and Ron nodded as they admired the girls' assets.  
  
"Well, we- I've been home schooled for all my life. I'm seventeen, eighteen in June, which will put me in 7th year --- right?" Hermione nodded at them and Talianna continued, "You all look my age, are you all in seventh year as well?" Again nods from all.  
  
"Maybe we'll have classes together!" Ron piped up, "We'll show you all around Hogwarts!"  
  
"That is, _if_ you're in Gryffindor." Hermione interjected.  
  
"Hadn't thought of that." Ron sighed and stuck an arm behind his head in anime fashion.  
  
"Me either." Harry frowned, then brightened. "But you don't seem like the Slytherin type, and we get along rather well with the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs."  
  
"What's all this about snakes and griffins?" Talianna was perplexed; amazingly it was the people before her, and not Sinjaria, who gave her the answer. Sinjaria had apparently fallen asleep again.  
  
"Slytherin and Gryffindor." Hermione corrected.  
  
"Don't forget Ravenclaw." Added Ron.  
  
"And Hufflepuff too."  
  
"They are the four houses of Hogwarts," Hermione went on in her most Professor-like tone, sounding as though she had swallowed Hogwarts: A History, "all of the first years and, I expect, you as well, get sorted by the Sorting Hat into their houses based on natures."  
  
"Slytherin are sly, malicious, mean and corrupt." Ron grimaced.  
  
"While Gryffindor are courageous, daring, brave and true." Exclaimed Harry with fervour.  
  
"Hufflepuff is hardworking, and Ravenclaws are exceptionally bright. People are given classes by house and there are interhouse competitions and rivalries." Hermione finished with an uppity air.  
  
The three went on to explain about the ghosts, the Professors, and all manner of Hogwarts' quirks. By the time the meal tray arrived they had begun their tirade about the Basilisk of the second year. Throats dry they all purchased large pitchers of Pumpkin Juice and stacks of Cauldron Cakes and Pumpkin Pasties to wash down.  
  
Talianna and Sinjaria, who was now awake, helped themselves to an assortment of treats, including Chocolate Frogs. Acting as Harry once had to the new treats. Ron slipped a locking spell onto the door and then Harry jammed the lock, with one of the hairpins Hermione kept on her, when the cart had passed on along the aisle.  
  
"You mean you've never had them before? Are you of Muggle background like me?" Hermione asked them.  
  
"Good goddess, iie. Pure-blooded through and through! But in Japan we don't have these, chocolate frogs; there are candied lizards, crystallized and sugared dragons blood, oh! And my favourite is the chocolate glazed swordfish.  
  
"Of course, _everyone_ has Bertie Botts' Every Flavour Beans, I absolutely adore the Yakitori one I found once. I wish I could find it again." Talianna began rooting through their box of said candy.  
  
"What card did you get?" Ron leaned over them as they opened their Chocolate Frogs.  
  
"Card?" Talianna finished shoving the squirming chocolate down their throat, "Oh this!" She held up a thin piece of cardboard with the words "Remus Lupin" below an empty box.  
  
"Looks like Professor Lupin isn't in." Harry looked disappointed, he too had been checking out the new card, and the girls at the same time.  
  
"I'd be glad to come in, provided you unstick this door. I'm afraid an unjamming charm might cause undo noise." Came a soft voice from the door as a soft jiggle of the handle got Harry's attention. Harry rushed over and undid both locks.  
  
"Sorry Professor, we stuck a wrench in the works after the lunch tray came by so Malfoy wouldn't come and disturb our new friend here." He gestured towards Talianna and Sinjaria.  
  
**Isn't Remus Lupin that werewolf who helped Sirius Black the psychotic mass-murderer from Azkaban escape the Dementors' Kiss, way back-** Sinjaria was cut off by Talianna's quick, snapping voice.  
  
**Shush, he seems nice!**  
  
**That's what you said about that shopkeeper who ripped you off 5000¥ last month for a piece of junk excuse for a chalice.**  
  
Lupin turned to them, "Yes, Albus mentioned the young lady he sent into your _care_ Harry."  
  
Harry flushed bright tomato red.  
  
Talianna flushed too, but much deeper shade.  
  
Sinjaria snored contentedly.  
  
"So, Professor, what are you doing on your way to Hogwarts again?" Hermione had set her books aside and made room for Lupin to sit.  
  
Lupin's robes were no tattier than the last time they had seen him, probably owing to the fact they had already become so threadbare he seemed to be wearing his full wardrobe just to conceal his legs. "Please, it's no longer Professor, and after what we've been through together I'd prefer if you called me Remus. As to your question, Dumbledore asked me to come and fill the new Defence teacher in on your level of training and to take up temporary residence in the school. Though the first will need your input as well, I heard that 'Army' you started went smashingly towards Voldemort's defeat."  
  
Ron, Hermione and Harry blushed, all muttering various forms of, "Yeah."  
  
"Why're you staying though? Not that we'll mind having someone else to join the 'Army'." Harry pushed his glasses up on his nose and offered one of the Pumpkin Pasties to Lupin.  
  
"Don't ever ask me to sort out the workings of Albus' mind. There can't really be any danger now that Voldemort's gone and his Death Eaters are being gathered up by the bucketful all over Europe, so I doubt it's anything more than a bit of charity in my favour." Remus sighed, "Though that doesn't help a man's pride much."  
  
They dropped the subject then and Hermione wisely steered the conversation towards the weather, the latest edition of the Daily Prophet, and reminiscence of past battles at Hogwarts. The trio had led an eventful scholarly career --- Basilisks, dragons, puzzles and murderers who were not... Even a Triwizard Tournament with four champions and an illegal 'Army', in actuality a Defence against the Darks Arts club to make up for the worst DADA teacher they had ever had. Which _is_ saying something.  
  
The last year had culminated with an all out battle to the death with Voldemort, losing them several members of Dumbledore's select group of friends and a couple of staff members at Hogwarts.  
  
My, what the girls had missed out on holed up in their parents' estate. But the isolation had been necessary.  
  
**We need to get out more often.** Moaned Sinjaria.  
  
**Just don't go planning anything.**  
  
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CHAPTER 2.5  
  
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Sirius sat quietly in the chambers Dumbledore had acquired for him, softly humming a tune and poking into the ear on each side of his head with a Q- tip. Dobby just looked at him as though he were nuttier than Winky.  
  
==========***========== 


	4. Chapter the Third

CHAPTER 3  
  
A/N: Don't even ask how much caffeine and candies are needed to keep me up at three AM and writing on this thing, I just send the cat to the 24 hour place down the block. Hey, if its 24 hours, why do they bother with locks on the doors? ^(^  
  
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Sinjaria and Talianna felt the train slowly glide to a stop. Ron, Harry, and Hermione grabbed their own bags and headed out the door. The girls scrambled off after them, one gold and one silver bag in each hand. They were heavy and bulging at the seams. # Honestly, I'd like to know who can live at a school for nine months without needing _something_. I'd think you'd wear out your undies running from one class to the next in robes! #  
  
The group headed down the long corridor to the outside. The grass was wet and springy, with a light frosty bite in the air. A breeze swept the girls' hair as they hopped out of the train. Harry caught Talianna as she tripped over a bump in the metal and fell forwards. Blushing Harry righted her and the hopped apart, embarrassed.  
  
"All righ' Harry?" Hagrid gave a great bellow over the five-foot wonders that were first year students. He bent low and invited them to tea at half past six. Uncanny the way Dumbledore plans for such things...  
  
"Firs' years! Firs' years this way!" The large, bushy form wandered back to the first-years with a huge lantern in one hand, "An' all pretty new students too." He grinned at the girls and winked at Harry knowingly. # He has _such_ a history with girls doesn't he? #  
  
Talianna felt her cheeks blush hotly as they stepped up to the giant, the considerably shorter first-years looked at them moment or two, then put their collected attention on the large man in front of them.  
  
"My name's Hagrid an' I'll be yer keeper until we get yeh firs' years across the lake. Jus' step inter the boats here an' try not ter fall in an' feed the Giant Squid."  
  
"You don't think there's really a Giant Squid do you?" A pale, thin, scrawny little boy whispered tremulously to the girls. He seemed afraid of their answer either way.  
  
**I wouldn't put it past these Brits... Better than Kappas I suppose, though they're easy enough to trick.** Sinjaria giggled maliciously as the boy shivered into the first set of boats. Talianna mumbled something encouraging to him before he disappeared into the gloom with all the others Hagrid had put into the boat. Hogwarts' enrolment had gone up so much in the past few years that two waves were then needed to get them all across the lake.  
  
The students bobbed slowly and carefully across the deep, murky water --- first with some trepidation until they realized the Giant Squid wasn't going to rise up and devour them all; only the tiny boy had fallen in while trying to get a peek into the dark waters below and around his boat --- then the boats magickally transported back across the bubbling lake for the second group.  
  
Student after student reached the far shore; Sinjaria and Talianna were in a boat alone since Ron, Harry, Hermione and the rest weren't going across the lake, but around it by means of Thestral driven carriages.  
  
**So what did I miss while I was asleep? Not much I trust.** Sinjaria yawned in a complacent manner.  
  
**Well, Lupin _is_ nice, just like I said he'd be.** Talianna gloated over her small victory. It wasn't often she got the better of her wise sister.  
  
**You always see the best where the worst is.** Sinjaria interrupted.  
  
**And there is, once more I'm told, a new teacher for DADA.** Talianna continued, ignoring Sinjaria.  
  
**What!? Who's replacing our father?** Sinjaria exclaimed in mock horror, voice rising in pitch and volume.  
  
**D-A-D-A, it's an acronym for Defence Against the Dark Arts you baka!** Talianna sweat-dropped.  
  
**I'm surprised you even know the definition of an acronym.** Sinjaria drawled.  
  
Talianna rolled her eyes and continued. **Anyway, his name is Wolfgang Kreuser, and he was an Auror for Germany, and...**  
  
Once again Sinjaria cut in, **You're supposed to be filling me in, not confusing me. So, what's an "Auror"? I still haven't gotten a complete grasp of this English thing.**  
  
**Person who hunts down Dark Wizards, like the Hananu of home.**  
  
**Oh. Um... You realize we've been sitting in the boat next to land for a few minutes Tal-chan?"  
  
Blushing furiously they stopped conversing and hopped to land. Their boat vanished and they went to join the others that had already reached the other side.  
  
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CHAPTER 3.1  
  
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"D'you think Cho'll talk to you this year mate? I mean, you really ruined it last year by cursing her dad..." Ron shrugged at Harry's glare, "Yeah, I know he was under the Imperius, but I don't think she was too pleased with you over that."  
  
"Probably not, but Talianna seemed nice right?"  
  
"Yup, maybe she'll take pity on you."  
  
"HEY! I'm not that terrible with girls am I?" Harry turned to Hermione who delicately didn't notice him. "Hmph." They continued up to the carriages, Harry was used to the Thestrals now and didn't pay them any heed as he headed for a carriage. He stopped, however, when well over fifty students paused and looked at the carriages in fear.  
  
"Is... Is that a Thestral?" Hermione pointed right at the fanged mouth of one that was harnessed to the carriage before them.  
  
Harry nodded and looked at them all, "Can you all see them?!" He called out, frightened nods replied and it struck Harry just how many had seen or participated in the battle in June. Cho and her friends were all wide-eyed but inching towards their carriage.  
  
"Hm! Looks like Hagrid's lesson was too early for anyone to appreciate." Hermione got over her shock and they all eventually entered the carriages. Those who hadn't seen the battle, or the Thestrals were confused over the delay and incredulous when their friends told them what they had seen.  
  
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CHAPTER 3.2  
  
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The first-years all trod nervously down the corridor and into the Great Hall after McGonagall's speech, all but Sinjaria and Talianna seemed scared to the bones. The twins spotted Harry and his troupe at one of the four long tables in the room, but continued with the first-years to create a loose line-up along one wall of the Hall. They waited, the small, wet boy shivering next to them.  
  
Dumbledore entered through a back door, a stool and a ratty-looking hat in each hand. The Hat was patched on nearly every inch but for a large, gaping hole above the brim, new to its look was the scorched tip and brownish stains that made it look as though it had been through war.  
  
It had.  
  
"And now the Sorting ceremony will begin!" Bellowed the Headmaster, who proceeded to explain how it was done.  
  
When the Hat finishes its poem; McGonagall called out names and students moved to the front, "Creevey, Peter," was called and the wet boy ran up, tripping halfway, only to be sorted into Gryffindor. He joined four other small, scared looking boys, the oldest bouncing in his chair and clutching an old Muggle camera to his chest. Many Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were sent off, as well as six or seven Slytherins and a few Gryffindors. On and on it went, at least a hundred students to be Sorted. The table clapped as each new addition was made to their tables, the Slytherin table seemed half empty, and so the new members were most noticed.  
  
"Slytherin, I hope I don't have to join those beasts." A girl with a strict ponytail grimaced to the girls.  
  
"Why not?" Talianna couldn't take her eyes off of Harry, who loudly welcomed every new Gryffindor and looked sad when a Slytherin was named, rather than the obvious hatred the others displayed.  
  
The girl sounded incredulous, "Everyone knows the only reason most of them are missing is because they supported You-Know-Who, many of their parents were Death Eaters."  
  
"Really? Why only the one House?"  
  
"It's in their natures." The girl stated matter-of-factly before she was called forward by, "Wood, Maria."  
  
After several long minutes of Sorting the twins began to get bored.  
  
**Makes you wish our name didn't start with "Y" doesn't it?** Grumbled Sinjaria.  
  
**No kidding. It's always been a pester.**  
  
"Yakinimata, Talianna-Sinjaria!" Came at last, the very last name of them all.  
  
The girls gulped and stepped up, settling themselves on the stool they waited for the Hat to come down. The last thing they saw before their vision was blocked were several hundred eyeballs focused on them.  
  
**Not another one.** Grumbled the Hat in their head, **I'll never be able to Sort you two. At least Harry was only one mind, sort of, well... You know what I mean don't you?**  
  
**No, but why can't you sort us?** They both asked.  
  
**Your personalities are too different to be in the same house, but you're in the same body, sort of, so I can't separate you.**  
  
**Well that won't be a problem; Tal-chan is in control when we have classes and such so we'll go into her house.**  
  
**Nope, you'd probably go insane in Gryffindor. If you tried anything they'd report you more likely than not, and it seems you have a habit for 'trying things' besides, you belong in Slytherin quite obviously. You understand my dilemma?**  
  
**Right, so you can do pretty much what you want.**  
  
**Yeah, it doesn't really matter to us, it's only a year after all.** Talianna agreed.  
  
**Give me a few minutes will you?**  
  
**Sure, take your time.** They both replied.  
  
The girls sat in silence, but they could hear the murmurs from the student body. Professor Dumbledore leaned down to them, "Everything alright?" He whispered. They nodded and continued waiting.  
  
After what seemed like an eternity the Hat spoke up.  
  
==========***==========  
  
CHAPTER 3.3  
  
==========***==========  
  
Severus looked down his nose at the students as they filed noisily into the Great Hall.  
  
**They certainly take their sweet time to be seated, almost like Dumbledore when explaining something.** He sneered at the Gryffindors as they all clapped each other on the backs in greeting, while his own house, Slytherin, though greatly reduced in numbers they were silent and went straight to business. With pride he watched as everyone in Slytherin was seated and whispering unobtrusively inside a minute.  
  
Draco Malfoy sitting on his own, with only Crabbe and Goyle to fill the ten or so empty seats around him, was no surprise. Perhaps now he would be more inclined to join, a family is something he would need soon enough. After losing his mother to war and his father on the run from the law for dodging Azkaban and capture afterwards...  
  
Severus turned his attention from the students inwards, Dumbledore had once again overlooked his request for the Defence Against the Dark Arts post, had given it to _Kreuser_ of all people, and had even had the gall to deny his polite, albeit forced, request for new cauldrons in the Dungeons. The old ones had been thoroughly ruined by Harry Potter and the rest of his lot during their first few years.  
  
At least they had improved.  
  
And now, to aggravate matters, he was forced to sit in on the Sorting Ceremony when he would rather be using his rusty old cauldrons to brew up something to clear out the DADA post once more.  
  
Of course, that could be why he was at the Ceremony...  
  
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CHAPTER 3.4  
  
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Talianna and Sinjaria heard the Hat take a slow, heavy breath and then, "I have no idea! None whatsoever! Just let them sleep in the Great Hall in a sleeping bag I guess, I _can't_ Sort them! It's impossible!"  
  
There was silence throughout the entire expanse of the Great Hall, not a sound was to be heard but the soft intake of breath from Dumbledore and the embarrassing rush of blood to the Twins' face.  
  
Then whispers began to form, growing in volume until they were loud discussions of the "odd new student" and the Hat's inability to Sort "them".  
  
The Hat was removed from their head and the girls were ushered through the back door and into a hidden chamber. They saw McGonagall quietly shooing various people out of their frames and paintings and then leaving herself so as to give Dumbledore and the Twins some privacy for their discussion.  
  
"Well I suppose your secret is out now, unless the students think they were mistaken as to what the Hat said. Yes, I believe I could convince them of that if you wish to remain in secret." Dumbledore looked questioningly at them.  
  
They nodded and Dumbledore smiled, "The teachers and I already knew about your condition girls." Dumbledore laughed, "Though I say, it was hard for many, including myself, to believe until you began referring to yourselves as 'us' and 'we'."  
  
"What are we to do about the Sorting problem though Headmaster?"  
  
"I suppose we can't have you sleeping on the Great Hall floor as the Hat suggested now can we? I'll see if I can procure a suitable room for you girls. In the mean time, I must see to the students, and you will be wanting some food. The sun will be down in a little while and you wouldn't want to switch between bread and puddings would you? I thought not." Dumbledore flicked his wand, and said a couple words under his breath. A table, laden with delicious, and colourful food, manifested itself in front of the girls.  
  
He left with a simple, "I'll see you two in a bit."  
  
**I'm famished, it's been hours since that airline attack on my taste buds.** Talianna plopped down before the table on a soft burgundy cushion Dumbledore had also conjured for them.  
  
**The table is too tall.** She waved her white wand, which she had pulled from her gold coloured robes, "Luvertius!"  
  
The table legs began to shorten a centimetre at a time until the top was level, just barely a foot from the carpet and at a perfect height for the Japanese girls to enjoy their food.  
  
Talianna then picked up her chopsticks and dug in to the food.  
  
**Don't eat it all on your own, I'd like to have some in a bit.**  
  
**Hrm?** Talianna swallowed and cleared her throat. **Oh right, I'd better stop now. Sumimasen.**  
  
**_Domo_ arigato...** Sinjaria mentally drawled and mentally gestured to the half glass of Pumpkin Juice and the chunks of partially finished food. As she noted the near empty plates however, the food vanished and was replaced by a fresh course, including an enticing pudding, it smelled of hazelnuts and brandy but they didn't question.  
  
A wriggling, writhing sensation came from the pit of Talianna's stomach then and a silver haze began to cloud their vision.  
  
**Its time.** Sinjaria's consciousness slid past Talianna's; they experienced a brief moment of confusion and disorientation as both were in control at once. Then it passed and Sinjaria was in the fore. Gold robes shimmered and went silver as their wand darkened to black.  
  
Sinjaria smiled, **My turn dear sister, no more sitting back.** She laughed coldly, **And the first thing I'm going to do is...**  
  
Talianna winced at the evil tone, what would her twin do to the school for amusement? There was a reason their parents hadn't been able to get any more tutors for them.  
  
**Finish the food!** Sinjaria grinned at her sister's sigh of relief and began to feed her own appetite.  
  
**Whew, I was worried for a moment.**  
  
**I noticed. But don't get too comfy; I just won't do anything until I figure this place out. Perhaps I'll go check out the Gryffindor dorms, give your new --- friends --- a surprise.** Sinjaria stopped in thought, **Of course, Dumbledore knowing about me will make mischief a little more difficult. I _was_ counting on that potion I'd slipped our parents would convince them to keep the secret for me.**  
  
**Like they would let a menace like you loose on these people without some advance warning.** Talianna snorted.  
  
**Honestly, I'm not that bad. No one's died yet from a prank.**  
  
**Not for lack of trying, you've a sadistic version of humour.**  
  
**Oh shut up!** A wall of mental bricks built itself up between their minds and Sinjaria settled to her meal.  
  
**You better not do anything too-** Talianna was cut off as the last brick fell into place.  
  
"Dangerous?" Sinjaria smiled as she cut gingerly into a piece of mutton. "I assure you Tal-chan, it will not be _too_ dangerous, just a pile of fun for me, and some complications for you. I'd love to see your face when you have to explain yourself. Better pack a mirror." She grinned and, after nearly filling on the many dishes before her, she began to gulp down the hazelnut and brandy dessert.  
  
"I wonder... Are the teachers here easy to scare?"  
  
==========***==========  
  
CHAPTER 3.5  
  
==========***==========  
  
"I don't know if I'll be able to take a sip of tea at Hagrid's, that new dessert of Winky's really finished me off!" Harry patted his stomach contentedly as the trio shouldered their cloaks against the evening chill and, with a call to the new Head Boy and Girl that they were off to Hagrid's hut, left the Great Hall.  
  
Hermione nodded, "I'm glad to see she's found a good use for brandy and Butterbeer other than drinking." She still wasn't happy about the plight of the Hogwarts House-elves, but had long ago stopped forcing freedom on them. SPEW was going as well as it had ever gone, only those who wanted to get rid of her paid their Sickle for a badge.  
  
She was proud to credit six freed House-elves to SPEW however, even if those elves were still in Hogwarts' employ out of habit.  
  
Ron said nothing as he was so full of puddings he could hardly bend down to tighten his shoelace when Hermione noted it had come done again.  
  
They all breathed deeply of the rather warm night air as they jogged across the Grounds, it was nearly six forty, but as Hagrid had left the Great Hall only ten minutes prior they didn't think he'd mind their lateness overmuch.  
  
"All righ' you three?" Hagrid was merry looking and rosy cheeked as he let them into the hut. They spotted his copper kettle steaming lightly over the toasty blaze of his fireplace and looked fearfully at the large, round rock- cakes Hagrid always offered with tea.  
  
"We're great Hagrid! You heard we spent the last little while at Diagon Alley with Harry of course?" Hermione politely slid the rock-cakes in Hagrid's direction, to Ron and Harry's relief.  
  
"O' course. Wouldn'a expect any less from yeh two." His eyes twinkled beneath layers of wiry black hair and Ron gulped, "'S yer NEWT year isn't it? Wasn't a chance ol' Harry here'd put up with summat 'is relatives were dishing 'im when he could ruddy well stick 'round folks who'd watch after 'im. 'Sides, yer of age now ain't yeh Harry." Harry nodded, "Righ', who'd stay when they don' have t'?"  
  
They all agreed and began recounting some of the tales the Twins had told them about their Shop, how finding and setting up premises could be as dangerous to one's health as when Charlie is transporting dragons. Hagrid didn't agree that it was near as much fun, which led to the topic of NEWT level beasties just as Hagrid poured some hot water into all of their mugs, teabags floating to the top of the steamy water and the trio waited with bated breath for Hagrid to let slip what he had gotten for their new year of classes.  
  
"Well, yeh'll be sure to have fun this year, I was working with Dumbledore most of the summer to get summat real int'resting this time 'round. After all, we've so many new Aurors this year, mus' be a record really, and yer all spot on too, that summat like the Skrewts'll be needed righ'?"  
  
They couldn't decide whether this meant the beast would be illegal, or deadly, but decided it was best to be prepared for both so nodded at Hagrid, "Well then, I got summat fer a good long project, won' mention what though," he grinned at their obvious disappointment, though it was that they'd have no warning what was going to kill them not that they'd not get a sneak peek as Hagrid thought.  
  
"I will tell yeh that we're doin' a couple classes with the Defence Against the Darks Arts teacher on Lethifolds, Demiguises and Occamies though." Hermione gave a slight gasp at this, "Weren't easy ter get neither, thought you'd like it."  
  
Ron seemed even paler than usual as they finished their tea. He was even nibbling on the corner of a rock-cake to keep from whimpering.  
  
Thoroughly dreading their first class with Hagrid they left, it was nearly seven thirty by then and Harry was in a great hurry to meet with Sirius.  
  
"See you late mate!" Ron called out as he and Hermione turned off to the Gryffindor dormitories.  
  
"And don't forget, seventh years need to be in their common rooms by ten thirty!"  
  
With a sigh of agreement to Hermione Harry dashed up the stairs to the seventh floor corridor to the Room of Requirement. Two Aurors, Nymphadora Tonks and a battle scarred Irishman Harry recognized from the battle in June as one Seamus O'Connor, were stationed outside the spot where the Room's entrance would be.  
  
They nodded to Harry and crossed the door three times, activating the Room for him. Tonks gave him a cheery hello, he was nearly blinded by the extreme lime-green of her spiky hair, while O'Connor merely clapped him on the shoulder as a sign of respect and trust. Their eyes locked momentarily as Harry passed through the doorway.  
  
Harry well remembered how O'Connor had gotten most of those scars. Sometime during the battle against Voldemort Neville had decided to try out a mixture of Charms and Jinxes he had developed with Hermione, they called it the Razor Wind Jinx. Depending on how you pronounced the final word in the four word jinx the air jetting from your wand-tip would either act as a large meat cleaver in a straight line, or would create hundreds of invisible needles that would arc out and shred a large group of opponents within ten metres of the caster.  
  
It worked marvellously on those that had been Stunned or Jinxed by Sirius during his mad dash to Harry's Portkey, however O'Connor and a few others on their side had been in the needles' path. They'd all considered it a minor setback, and no one mentioned that Neville had meant only to use the cleaving form to "separate" the Lestranges from the rest of the attackers.  
  
Eye contact was broken then and Harry stepped into the Room of Requirement.  
  
==========***==========  
  
CHAPTER 3.6  
  
==========***==========  
  
Draco glared behind his shoulder, his 'faithful' lackeys Crabbe and Goyle were thundering along behind him, leaving no room to think. He made the required jabs at passing first year Gryffindors, as his bodyguards cracked their knuckles and watched out for any hexes being thrown his way from others.  
  
**Dumb brutes, I don't think they even realise they're parentless yet. Hmph! With their level of intelligence I wouldn't be surprised if it takes until Christmas before it sinks in.** He growled low in his throat as he waited for them to catch up; his frustrated thoughts had carried him halfway through the dungeons in a few moments, and they had yet to appear.  
  
**I wish Father hadn't insisted I have 'protection' while here. You'd think he was worried the Mudbloods might contaminate me!** Draco stamped a foot and continued walking.  
  
"I doubt it, but he always was a bit domineering."  
  
Draco whirled about to see Professor Snape standing coolly in his chamber doorway.  
  
"Yes... B-but..." Draco sighed and entered Snape's chambers when the older man gently beckoned him. The dark, oak doors closed solidly behind their two tall, wiry forms.  
  
Snape led Draco to a cushy black leather armchair, he sat uncomfortably while the Potions Master seated himself on a squat stool beside a bubbling cauldron. Snape ignored him as he looked over a piece of parchment, an old, dusty tome, and then picked up a silver spoon to stir the frothy brew.  
  
Draco tried to sit still, but began to squirm as Snape ignored him and added several small, round objects to his potion, and reversed the direction of his stirring.  
  
Unable to take much more Draco leaned forward and screwed up his courage, "Have you heard from my father yet Professor?" He took a deep breath and tilted forward expectantly.  
  
Snape glanced at his book again, doused the flames beneath the bubbly cauldron (the brew within was now covered in think white foam), before he picked up the sheaf of parchment and glanced over at Draco.  
  
"Mr Malfoy, do you know what I have just dug out a very old book, passed through my family for seven generations, to find the recipe for and spent the last half hour creating?" Draco shook his head, "That book," Snape flicked a finger to indicate the very book he had been just looking over, "was written by an ancestor of mine and contains a very unique recipe for Cocoa." Draco looked shocked, "Of course, I may have ruined it by adding marshmallows, as they did not exist then; nonetheless, you will be testing it, in a very large mug I might add, as I tell you just what your father has written to me."  
  
He then reached for a long silver ladle, which hung from a hidden niche in his chamber wall. Snape sighed as he dipped the ladle in the Cocoa, "Though he does not explain how he escaped from Azkaban or the June battle, or where he has been hiding for the last two months." Draco frowned, so Snape continued, "He does, however, detail where he is now, and when you might see him once again."  
  
Snape conjured a _very_ large black mug then, ladled some of the white- topped Cocoa into it, and cleared his throat before reading off the crumpled letter sent by a very much alive Lucius Malfoy, from a hidden room in Malfoy Manor.  
  
==========***==========  
  
CHAPTER 3.7  
  
==========***==========  
  
"Harry!"  
  
Sirius' cry from across the room drew his attention from the five Aurors spread throughout the room, including Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody (who's magickal eye was spinning as wildly as ever, searching for hidden enemies), Kingsley Shacklebolt (his black skin marred by an ugly scar that ran perfectly from his left cheek around and through his ear with magickal precision, another victim of Neville's awry jinx), Emmeline Vance (who looked like a relative of McGonagall's due to her severe posture and alert face) and Hestia Jones (a round, pink cheeked witch that looked like everyone's mother) all of whom had been in the "advance guard" that had rescued him from the Dursleys before fifth year.  
  
The last, a dark looking witch in red leather, no cloak but an extraordinarily long braid that hung down her spine and looped many times over one arm like a whip. From the sadistic smile she gave Harry as she swung her wand in her hand, causing the braid to sway methodically, he was rather convinced that a whip was the braid's entire purpose.  
  
He faced Sirius, looking healthier and happier than Harry had seen him in over three years. Sirius' hair was tame and his face filled out with Mrs Weasley's fine cooking and the fact he could travel throughout London's hidden world with very little concern (other than his required double Auror escort, usually Tonks and the unfamiliar witch he soon found out.)  
  
Sirius filled him in on the court appearance he had made, the restrictions of his probation, and introduced his bodyguard.  
  
Harry was greeted well by all the Aurors he knew; the last, by the name of Myethos refused to give her first name and enlightened them to the fact she was Canadian and had been in training since she was six. Nothing more forthcoming they all left her to a few wand exercises in the corner as they discussed the Wizarding world and how it had changed while Harry had stayed at the Dursley's for July.  
  
Harry and Sirius couldn't stop talking until Mad-Eye reminded Harry that he needed to return to the Gryffindor dormitory before Filch hung him from his toes.  
  
Not a moment wasted Harry promised to meet Sirius again as soon as Dumbledore arranged it, and then left.  
  
It was well past midnight.  
  
==========***==========  
  
CHAPTER 3.8  
  
==========***==========  
  
Nearly ten o'clock  
  
Sinjaria shut the door gently and turned around gracefully. She sent an appraising gaze over the set-up of the room Dumbledore had found for them.  
  
It wasn't a large room; a twin, canopied bed took up most of the floor space. A dark cherry wood dresser stood in the corner --- their bags were sitting next to it still packed --- and a small personal bathroom was entered off the side, through an enchanted oil painting in abstract grey.  
  
"Not a bad design." She mused aloud, admiring the painting. "It'll give me something to look at during the long winter nights."  
  
"Why thank-you."  
  
Sinjaria's eyes roved the room, "Whom spoke, speak again." She commanded.  
  
"That would be I."  
  
"And I as well."  
  
A small painting Sinjaria had overlooked before spoke up from a corner. The artwork featured two card-like maidens, also done in greys; the top was white on black and the bottom black on white.  
  
"We are the lost card." They spoke in unison. Indeed there was an ornate "L" in each corner to the left of each face.  
  
"What are you called?" Sinjaria found them to be a cute allusion to herself and her twin. Though they had originally been attached along the spine.  
  
"We are the Lady card. We would not be counted as less than the Jack, and as a stubborn male he would not be counted as less either; so we were dis- carded."  
  
"Should have been the Jack." Sinjaria was no fool, and realized how wise having a friend who predated card games would be. What a store of accumulated knowledge she --- they --- must have.  
  
"That's what we said!"  
  
Changing the topic abruptly Sinjaria began to unpack, "So what can you tell me about Hogwarts?"  
  
"Anything, just ask!"  
  
==========***==========  
  
CHAPTER 3.9  
  
==========***==========  
  
"Hurry up there, I think you nicked one of their caps, we'll have to lose that one near the Willow." Two shadowy figures glided... Wait! Nix that, they were darkened with dirt and scraping along a new and previously untried-with-large-loads tunnel under the Hogwarts grounds.  
  
Their twin bags full of various prank artillery were being dragged along behind them, incurring much jostling and banging, much to the chagrin of the latter figure whose bag was mostly filled with explosives or easily-set- offables.  
  
As their tunnel looped around to connect with a far sturdier and 'well- known' route the latter of the two carefully removed an injured Bat-Bogey Blitz Ball, cap broken clean off, and heaved it out from beneath the still recovering Whomping Willow. Several seconds later, as they continued down their new path, they both stopped and clutched their bags as the Ball detonated and the Willow went wild. After all, no one likes to have bad case of bats.  
  
"Ruddy well that you decided to put that timer on it." The latter sighed.  
  
The first nodded his agreement, "Just enough time for our boys to find safe cover. It'll take some practice to get the timing right..."  
  
They snickered and continued on for a few more minutes.  
  
When they reached the sheer wall of stone that the June battle had placed over their old path they grabbed their copies of Weasley Sneak-it maps and touched them to the right-hand wall of dirt.  
  
The wall's illusion spell dissipated and they continued through the newly dug stretch until it climbed right up to the rear of a wall.  
  
"Two taps left..." The first tapped.  
  
"And a tap to top and bottom." The latter finished.  
  
The stones slid aside, rolled aside really, until a portal large enough for both and their bags to pass through was formed. Harry, Ron, Hermione and several others sat in a circle in the Gryffindor Common Room, chatting quietly while the fire behind them blazed.  
  
When Ron spotted his brothers, black as night with their faces and cloaks coated in muddy earth, his first instinct was to hug them before he realized they were under no darkening spell.  
  
"Good t' see you guys, but... O, figures you'd be here so soon." The bags explained themselves with the Weasley Twins as their deliverers.  
  
"Thought we'd start the year out without its customary bang, brother." Fred nosed through his bag, looking for the list of items he had brought. He knew them by heart, but leaving an inventory for the customers always helps business.  
  
"There'll be plenty of time for blowing things up later." George grinned, as his bag contained enough Basic Blaze boxes of Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz- bangs to last the better part of the month, were it they who were using them.  
  
"Now then, gather the masses, anyone who might want a bit to help motivate Snape or Filch is welcome to our first fest of the year." Fred carefully tacked his inventory list to the Common Room notice board and began to set his wares on display as everyone else in the room but George vanished to wake their fellows.  
  
Ron shook Neville awake, not forgetting to avoid the boy's Mimbulus as it 'dozed' on his bedside table.  
  
Hermione woke very few of the girls, mostly second or third year students she knew to be mischievous.  
  
Harry just woke whoever of the DA in Gryffindor wasn't already downstairs and clamouring at the Weasley Twins for a bit of free merchandise or a discount on Whiz-bang packs.  
  
When the room had filled with perhaps forty or fifty students, from first year right up to the seventh, Fred and George began their show.  
  
"Welcome all practitioners of Hogwarts Humour..." Fred began with a flourish.  
  
"We will be your suppliers of ill-gotten illusions and privately concocted calamities..."  
  
"We are the Weasley Twins, Fred..."  
  
"And George. Deliveries will be made every second Thursday..."  
  
"Just in time for any weekend fun you may have in mind, or for a Friday fix for Filch."  
  
"We have left a list of our full inventory with prices on the notice board," the entire room turned to look for a moment before returning to George, "however, there may be a waiting list for several items, tap your wand on the list to reveal the application forms."  
  
"They are charmed so that your orders will be sent to us directly, do not expect us to drag unnecessary items all the way here, we will only bring what is requested from this point onwards through the year."  
  
"Sorry if it sounds too formal chaps, but our backs can only carry so much, and the darn things won't be charmed." George mock-glared at his sack of Whiz-bangs.  
  
"Now then, what'll it be?" The boys began to take Knuts, Sickles and Galleons from the eager younger group, all wanting to sample some trinket or another. Skiving Snackboxes, Extendable Ears, new Elongating Sticks 'For aggravating those Slytherin gits who like to sit ahead of the rest, while you sit three rows back!', packages upon packages of Whiz-bangs and Canary Creams, as well as the more mundane items such as Dung Bombs for six Knuts apiece.  
  
The prices were quite reasonable; the worst of it being twenty Galleons for a Deflagration Deluxe set of Whiz-bangs, only Harry could afford one.  
  
And so, after unloading their bags and filling their purses the twins activated the illusion charm over their flyer --- the key being "I solemnly swear I am purchasing goods" --- and promised to return in two Thursdays as they escaped through the wall and their passage disappeared from sight.  
  
==========***========== 


	5. Chapter the Fourth

CHAPTER 4  
  
A/N: I like tacos! Mmm.... *drools* Ahem, now then... Classes today! Yay!  
  
==========***==========  
  
Harry yawned and sat up in bed; he reached over to his nightstand and slipped his glasses on. With a great rumble his stomach informed him that he was hungry and he paused a moment to listen if his Aunt and Uncle were awake.  
  
It was oddly quiet in the Dursley's house; relieved, Harry crept downstairs and gently levered open the refrigerator in their immaculate kitchen.  
  
The artificial light from the fridge caused the spotless tile floor to glare up at him and Harry was forced to blink tears out of his eyes as the door swung wide.  
  
Snape's severed head sat, leering at him from the icebox, incoherently barking insults and instructions at him. Harry rushed to gather the potions ingredients as Snape's head pointed them out with its hooked nose. His arms soon became too full however and he dropped a bottle of undiluted Bubotuber Pus, it shattered and Aunt Petunia's kitchen sprouted boils and fangs.  
  
The toaster tried to snap his fingers off as he reached for the dishcloth and Harry felt Uncle Vernon strangling him from behind as he tried to explain himself. Snape's head roared in the background, its long, greasy black hair wrapping around Harry, smothering him as his Uncle clutched his neck.  
  
"Harry! WAKE UP!"  
  
Harry's eyes snapped open and he stopped thrashing in his sheets on the floor. He felt Ron shake his shoulders from above once more and sighed in relief.  
  
"Harry, is it Voldemort, he can't be back though, can he?" Ron sounded petrified as he gripped Harry's shoulders.  
  
"Ngh?" Harry rolled over and out of his bedclothes, "No, no... Nothing like that, it's..." He began to laugh, "It's the stupidest thing I've ever dreamt, honestly." Harry added when Ron gave him a sceptical look.  
  
"So, no dark corridors or snakes then mate?"  
  
"Nope, but that toaster sure had it in for me."  
  
A pause, then they both laughed so loudly Seamus and Dean sat up in their bed and tossed pillows at them. This made them laugh harder and they ended up in an all out pillow fight.  
  
However, Dean and Seamus ganged up with Neville and beat Ron and Harry into silence with a binding charm on their sheets.  
  
A crooning song announced Fawkes' arrival in the open Gryffindor window. Dean and Seamus glomped the swan-sized bird, petting his long golden plumes and flame-coloured flight feathers. Fawkes allowed the patronizing for a few moments before Harry and Ron wriggled free of the charmed sheets, then flitted free of the bois to hold out a sheaf of parchment to Harry, it was covered with Dumbledore's archaic script across one side.  
  
"Shove off you two!" Ron held the two bois back with an arm as Harry read the letter. Dean and Seamus were crestfallen but sat on a bed to await Harry's okay to coddle the Phoenix once more. Harry grinned wider with every word he read until he chuckled out loud and cleared his voice.  
  
"You'll love this one Ron, listen. Ahem...  
  
"'Dear Harry (and those Gryffindors in the room at the time of reading),'" They all laughed at the Headmaster's foresight.  
  
"'I am pleased to notify you that in light of the beneficial effects of your Defence Association myself, and the majority of the staff, have agreed that it should be made an official class in Hogwarts. After much debate it is found that students in the third year or higher may apply to join, to be tutored by yourself, plus Messer's Weasley, Longbottom, and Miss Granger should they agree to the terms of the class.  
  
"'These terms are as follows: Each member to join will pay two Sickles for instructors' wages and supplies, the classes will continue to be scheduled by the preferred method (false Galleons), and will be held at eight o'clock until ten o'clock on every day scheduled. With much argument Mr Filch has agreed to let those in possession of a Defence Association Galleon receive an extended curfew until ten fifteen so that they may attend all classes.  
  
"'At this point you may be wondering about the wages I have mentioned, should all four of you decide to teach this DA class you will be paid a Galleon per week for the trouble. I do hope you agree with the terms, however if you should like a higher wage I will be glad to negotiate.  
  
"'That said, please pass this information on to the aforementioned Professors-to-be, you'll find a student's version of this information added to the Common Room bulletin board.  
  
"'Yours sincerely,  
  
"'Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster'"  
  
Ron, Neville, Dean and Seamus all gaped at Harry.  
  
"You've ruddy well _got_ to be kidding!" Ron snatched the parchment from Harry, he and Neville stared at Dumbledore's words incredulously. "I-I've never even _had_ a Galleon before, let alone one a week!' If you should like a higher wage' he's mad, utterly mad! Where's Pig!?" Ron left Neville with the letter as he scratched down a happy agreement on a loose piece of parchment and ran off to gather his hyper little owl.  
  
Neville ran after him, a quill in hand to add his own signature.  
  
Dean and Seamus clapped Harry on the back as he sent Fawkes off with his own reply, then got dressed when Harry dashed along the stairs to call Hermione down for the great news.  
  
==========***==========  
  
CHAPTER 4.1  
  
==========***==========  
  
Draco blinked several times in the early morning gloom, the dungeons where the Slytherin dormitories were concealed was not the most pleasant place to find oneself awake too early. Thanking whatever gods looked over him that his former lackeys had been too exhausted from the trip to Hogwarts to engage in any... Nauseating activities the previous evening, he slid from his silver bedclothes and began to dress for the day.  
  
He was quite careful to brush every stray silver hair into place, to dab cologne lightly near his jaw, a delicate blend of pine and musk that made him smell faintly of a trip through a sunlit woods, and to smooth every wrinkle out of his expensive robes.  
  
**My family may be in disgrace, but I'll not look like any Mudblood who wanders off of the street and into this school.** With a minor flourish in front of the spelled mirror that lead out of his chambers Draco Malfoy strode into the empty Slytherin Common room, out the hidden entrance, and into the Dungeons proper.  
  
**After all the planning Father put into everything, making sure that our family would survive his dabbling with the Dark Lord... How could he get so careless with Harry?** Draco glided slowly past Snape's quarters, mulling over the downfall of his family, on his way to breakfast.  
  
He had just exited the Dungeons, and concluded that his Father was entirely to blame for the heart shattering loneliness he was being subjected to, with or without his ever faithful lackeys, this school year, when a voice called out softly to him.  
  
"Mr Malfoy."  
  
Draco whipped around, hand reaching into his robes for his mahogany wand, dragon scale core, his cold façade in place and ready to face Professor Severus Snape; Slytherin Head of House. "Sir, I didn't think you would be awake so early." Draco bowed slightly to the older, colder man.  
  
Snape's lip twitched on one side, ever so slightly. He and Draco were used to these games, both would pretend to be no more than student and teacher, when in truth Snape was a second father to the silver-haired young man. "Indeed." Snape drawled in that lazy, indifferent tone Draco wished he could copy more perfectly, "However, your adolescent angst verily radiates across the Dungeons, it is enough to draw pity from Mr Potter himself."  
  
Draco gave a short snort of disbelief, "I doubt it. With how much a little git I've been I doubt Potter would toss a doily my way to keep my heart from bleeding all over him." Draco laughed derisively but did not relax his grip on his wand.  
  
"Ah well, stranger things have been known to happen, especially where that boy is concerned." Snape gave Draco a knowing look and swept past him towards the Great Hall.  
  
Draco tried to sort out his confusion and decide if Snape had meant what he thought he'd meant, also struggling to master the shocked look on his face. As an afterthought Draco called after Snape, "Sorry for waking you Professor."  
  
Unsure and uncaring if Snape had even heard him, Draco turned away from the Great Hall and made to leave anyplace that would fill with other students in the near future.  
  
==========***==========  
  
CHAPTER 4.2  
  
==========***==========  
  
Slightly earlier that morning...  
  
With a sigh Sinjaria saw a streak of golden sunlight break over the distant mountains, it struck her in the eyes directly, and even after she blinked and shifted out of the way of the sunrise a golden haze obscured her vision and her wall came down; it was Talianna's time once more.  
  
**Tako!** Sinjaria swore. **I am really not a morning person!**  
  
**Nyah, nyah!**  
  
Her nightdress became golden, their wand bleached a startling white and Talianna gave a great yawn and stretch of her arms. A rust coloured School owl fluttered up to their closed window in mid-stretch and Talianna threw it open. A gust of crisp mountain air poured in, the bird with it. She slipped the letter from the flying owl's beak before it returned out the now open window; nearly falling out herself when she snagged her toe on a floor rug and stumbled ominously.  
  
**We have a meeting with Dumbledore today to decide how we're to take classes.** Talianna crumpled the brief note and tossed it into the trash.  
  
**Well, can we eat in the Great Hall today at least? The House Elves only brought _me_ meals last night, not you. I can already hear your stomach.** True enough Talianna's belly was making a low growling noise and felt very empty.  
  
**Sure!** Talianna dressed quickly, from gold nightdress to gold robes and a jingly, jangly charm bracelet on her left ankle. Talianna fell flat on her face, toe still tangled in that darn rug, while attempting to rush out their door, she sat a moment nursing her bruised nose before rising and continuing on to the Hall.  
  
A couple more stumbles and five minutes later they entered the Hall. As the main doors swung shut behind them there was a silence that hung heavy on the air. It seemed as though every student in Hogwarts had been hit with a Stunning Charm all at once.  
  
**Where do we sit?**  
  
**Dunno, try with that prick, Harry.** Sinjaria muttered, **It had better not be like this every morning though. When winter comes I'll be the one having breakfast here, and the last thing I want is these British brats gaping at me whenever I sit down to a bowl of rice.** She paused, considering, **When do you think they serve the real food anyways, any more of that beef and those 'puddings' and we'll weigh ninety kilos.**  
  
Talianna ignored her sister's rants that a good dose of sushi would certainly slim down some of the pudgier British and instead searched the tables quickly for a sight of Harry and his friends. She thought Harry was rather dashing, but her sister had insisted he was only a boy yet when she had mentioned it and so kept her arguments strongly to herself.  
  
Just as she spotted Harry and was waved to by him and his lot, Dumbledore caught their eye and Sinjaria insisted they go speak with him instead. With all eyes on them they dashed forth to the Teachers' platform. Talianna half- stumbled to a halt before the Headmaster and he smiled warmly.  
  
"Since you do not have a House girls, you will be eating with the staff for a while. Now let me see..." Dumbledore spotted an empty space between Professors Snape and McGonagall. "Please seat yourselves there today girls." He pointed towards the chair.  
  
They walked swiftly down the table to the place indicated and took a seat.  
  
"Good day dears, I'm sure you remember me from yesterday. I'm the Transfiguration teacher and Head of Gryffindor." She smiled when the Twins bowed in respect, Talianna thought her tartan wrap on her hat was simply adorable, but since most adults preferred not to be told they weren't very intimidating she again kept her silence.  
  
The man with the hooked nose and skin that seemed to speak of years hidden from the sun spoke with a cold, hissing voice that caused Talianna to shiver, he seemed the type to tell a student when and where they were wrong, and then make sure they _never_ repeated it, "Professor Snape, Potions Master and Slytherin Head." It was a brief statement as though they were worth no more attention than a House Elf, Sinjaria bristled a bit and assured herself and her sister that she would _make_ him pay attention. Talianna bowed weakly, to be rewarded by a cursory nod from Snape.  
  
**I don't think I'll like him if he runs the Slytherins. I remember what Harry said about _them_. Besides I hate Potions.** Talianna began he breakfast, a much better version of bacon and eggs.  
  
**Open up for me, Snape seems interesting. You _know_ I like the "bad guys" after all. And he seems the type. McGonagall on the other hand looks like she recently ate a brick and is just now getting it over with.**  
  
**Well, if you're going to be rude, no way!**  
  
**Relax, why bother, right?**  
  
**So long as you pro-**  
  
**I promise I won't get you in detention yet.**  
  
**Fine.** She conceded and did the opposite of Sinjaria's brick-trick; suddenly Sinjaria and she were on equal ground. Both could speak aloud to the teachers.  
  
"Ohayo gozaimasu Professors. I am Sinjaria, my twin Talianna is letting me speak."  
  
Both teachers did a double take at the sudden change of voice and inflection coming from the girl between them. Her voice was stricter and more controlled than her twin's, and a lot more mature; Talianna's voice had been giggly and girlish, with only a slight hint of the budding woman she was.  
  
Snape composed himself first, his voice was as cool as a new cauldron as he questioned them, "How is it that you are able to speak? Dumbledore mentioned that you could only come out at night."  
  
"Oh, I can answer that one, I can let her talk during the day if I really concentrate, but she can't move me around. You'll notice we aren't moving from whatever position I was in when we began." Talianna's voice came out once more; and, true enough, their body was perfectly rigid in its pose, in the midst of lifting a spoon from beside her bowl of porridge.  
  
"Can she do the same for you?" McGonagall sounded extremely interested, such interesting aspects of existing were within her favoured subject of Transfiguration, as some objects could become stuck similarly by students. In Switching Charms for example, or Replacement Charms even.  
  
"No, I can block off her thoughts from mine while I have control though. Not during the day," Sinjaria answered before McGonagall could ask the next question, "As she is technically still in control and can relax her concentration to close the gap through which I am utilizing her vocal chords. My mother's theory was that I am, in actuality, switching my vocal chords and such with hers for brief periods of time. Its like a minor breach in a major fault."  
  
She smiled, but as their body was frozen, neither teacher saw it. Snape, however, seemed to have picked up on what she had been attempting; the corner of his mouth had twitched ever so slightly into a higher position, then relaxed after a second.  
  
"Of course, topics concerning ourselves have never been a favourite." Talianna took her sister's blatant hint and spoke up.  
  
"So... What will we be doing in each of your classes this year?"  
  
"Talianna?" Snape queried.  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"Well, in Transfiguration we'll be working on transforming ourselves into large mammals, a continuation of the minor self-transfigurations our students mastered last year. Of course, I will be able to work with my students very closely as they enter their last year. Most of my Transfiguration students are studying to be Aurors." She smiled at the girls, "Amazing how war brings out the best attempts from students... Have you put any thought into what you will be studying this year, depending of course on how well you did in those summary exams Dumbledore had you work through last month." McGonagall looked thoughtful, "I haven't heard the results yet, have you?" Talianna gave a soft note of despair.  
  
"Actually, I was hoping you _would_ know, Professor Dumbledore has yet to tell us."  
  
"Hm, well the best idea is to know what you've done. What have you girls learned so far from your home schooling?"  
  
"Well, when Sinjaria doesn't –" Talianna was cut off.  
  
"When we have tutors available she means, we have turned inanimate objects into animate ones, and vice versa."  
  
"Also we have turned ourselves into furniture, clocks and such, some small creatures like badgers and a few non-magickal plants, lilies for example. If we qualify to enter Transfiguration how large of animals will we be doing?"  
  
McGonagall was shocked, some of those things many of the staff couldn't do. Certainly Hermione Granger herself would just be beginning to transfigure herself into a beast as large as a badger!  
  
"W-we'll be reviewing inanimate objects, then hedgehogs, other rodents, until we work our way up through the mammals to dogs and cats, finally on to larger, more complicated beasts. Many will even begin training for Animagus forms in the final semester." She stammered at first but, when Snape made a slight noise of disgust, finished in her usual crisp tones.  
  
"Really?" Sinjaria wondered. "I've never been very good at mammals, the review will be a great help."  
  
"Oh, why is that?"  
  
"I don't know _why_, I've just never gotten the warm-blooded thing down pat. However I am quite good at reptiles or serpents; I can do an amazing Viper, and my venom is really coming along with practice."  
  
"Sounds like you belong in Slytherin," Snape gave his closest imitation of a smile yet, both corners turning up in a decided not-sneer, "if you can do serpents so well. And you, Talianna?" Snape's tone cooled considerably, Talianna shivered and imagined a person could get pneumonia from a voice like that.  
  
However, she maintained her warm, bubbly voice, "I'm afraid I can't do any cold-blooded creatures well. My specialty is birds, nearly anything with feathers is easy as pie. But I much prefer the Dove."  
  
McGonagall smiled at that, as her Animagi form was a cat. "You would be in Gryffindor then, a Dove is a sign of peace, and if any House stands for that its Gryffindor. Just look at the lot who were key players in the June battle, half were Gryffindors and two were even Gryffindor Prefects." Talianna beamed at what she took as praise.  
  
"Ahem," Sinjaria once more, "what will we be doing in Potions sensei? Talianna's no good at it by the way."  
  
"Hey! I'm not that bad!"  
  
"Yes. You are." Sinjaria stated it so Talianna could only splutter in protest, she turned to Snape, "Sensei?"  
  
Snape was pleased that Sinjaria took such a keen interest in his subject, were it not for their body being frozen he would have said their was a hungry look in their eyes as Sinjaria asked, "Mostly I will be reviewing those points that were not fully ground in by the end of the last year. I am hoping that the surprising increase in the overall talent of my sixth year students was not lost in June, there were some that truly shocked me with their improvement." Snape's face didn't show shock or joy over the 'improvement' however, only cold resignation to teach them.  
  
"However, I will make more emphasis on poisons and cures. During revision when I began last year I ended up sending students to Madame Pomfrey to cure them of their cures and not their poisons." Snape sneered and Sinjaria was sure she heard him mutter, "Bloody Gryffindors," under his breath. "Should you wish to enter my class I will expect nothing less that top marks on your examinations results."  
  
**I'm going to enjoy Potions with him.** Sinjaria smiled.  
  
**And I'll do well in Transfiguration with her.** Talianna joined her smile.  
  
Breakfast finished with Snape and McGonagall's parting sentiments; the feeling they translated from it all was this: do well on your exams and you'll love us, fail and life here will be misery.  
  
==========***==========  
  
CHAPTER 4.3  
  
==========***==========  
  
"Hnx!" Ron gave a very loud snore from his porridge bowl, where his face had planted itself only a moment before. Thankfully Hermione took pity on his porridge coated red head and vanished the mess "Evanesco!" before anyone was too sickened to stop eating.  
  
She sighed and patted Ron's sleeping form bemusedly, "You'd think the silly thing never sleeps wouldn't you?"  
  
Harry tactfully didn't mention that Ron had been trying to wrestle him awake only an hour previous. "If he doesn't wake up in time for our first class you get to carry him there, I've spent too much time dragging the git around." Hermione gave him a scandalized look. "What? He's heavier than me and longer too, the last thing I need to do is put myself out of commission before Quidditch training even begins." Hermione was still looking at him angrily though so he turned to his toast and single poached egg.  
  
"You know Seamus," Harry called over while he tried to force himself to eat the egg, "you'll kill him if you keep that up."  
  
Seamus looked at Harry with an evil grin plastered across his face, then continued to tickle Dean mercilessly.  
  
"They've been at it since Fawkes visited this morning. I think they're getting worse with age." Neville was cuddling his Mimbulus Mimbletonia with one arm as he ate, a common practice now as the plant had saved him from a nasty curse in June and was still recovering. The plant was at least half again as long as his arm and made Neville look a lot larger than he was, it was also Neville's best friend.  
  
"Yesh... Was bad 'nough wit'out dem *yawn* doing it in public." Ron had been woken by Professor McGonagall as she dropped a schedule under his nose and continued along to the rest of them.  
  
Harry scanned his eyes over the page briefly before giving the usual groan of dismay, "Another year of Auror training, and another schedule sure to turn your appetite to dust. Listen to this:  
  
"'Monday: Potions all morning, Charms and Transfiguration.'  
  
"'Tuesday: Charms all morning, Transfiguration, DADA and Astronomy at nine.'  
  
"'Wednesday: Transfiguration all morning, DADA, Care of Magickal Creatures.'  
  
"'Thursday: DADA all morning, Care of Magickal Creatures, Potions and Astronomy at nine.'  
  
"'Friday: Care of Magickal Creatures all morning, Potions and Charms.'" Harry sighed in resignation, "Well, at least it won't be difficult to remember when our double classes are, every morning."  
  
Hermione smiled slightly at Harry's put out tone, "Well, we now know the DA will never be on a Tuesday or Thursday... So you just have to sort out Quidditch."  
  
"Hmph! Let's see what you've got then?" Ron grabbed Hermione's timetable, it was nearly the same, but with Arithmancy in place of Care of Magickal Creatures, and 'Tutoring' in place of Astronomy. "What!? Dropped Hagrid's class, what ever made you decide to do that?" Ron asked in a mock shocked tone.  
  
"Well, I can't very well be bothered with... With that sort of class when I've serious study left before I can take the Teacher's examinations." Hermione snatched back her paper and stuffed it in her bag. Without looking at Harry and Ron, who was mouthing 'barking' behind her back, she swept out of the Great Hall as the rest of the student body vied to escape first.  
  
"C'mon mate, we'd better get our Potions stuff then. Snape'll be foul as ever, 'specially after June."  
  
Harry nodded and followed, oblivious to the clean gold plates on the tables behind him as he left.  
  
==========***==========  
  
CHAPTER 4.4  
  
==========***==========  
  
The twins spotted Snape having a word with Dumbledore before leaving; then, as the Hall cleared of students and staff, Dumbledore ushered the girls into the hidden room.  
  
"I trust you slept well last night?"  
  
"We don't really sleep. Well, we do, but only one at a time." Talianna kept Sinjaria from grumbling a nasty jab at Dumbledore about her boredom. "But yeah, I guess you could say I did."  
  
"Could you perhaps let us in on the results of our examinations Professor?" Sinjaria asked in honeyed tones resembling Umbridge's when annoyed.  
  
"Ah yes, Severus mentioned your little trick before he left the table. I do hope you won't mind a slightly stretched schedule Sinjaria, the Professors are not willing to stay up all night with you, so morning classes and evening classes are a must. And good notes of course. But first, we must decide which classes you would like to apply for. Now..." Dumbledore drew a few sheaves of parchment and a quill from his robes.  
  
"Don't you mean which classes we'll be eligible for?" Sinjaria broke in.  
  
"'Eligible for?' My my my, you have very low expectations of yourself."  
  
"Not really, just of Talianna."  
  
"I see." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled merrily. "Well, it seems that you both received more than adequate marks in all subjects to be accepted. Yes Talianna, you even scraped enough in Potions to enter Professor Snape's class, and believe me that isn't easy." Talianna stopped trying to protest. "First, of course, we will have to discover what you wish to be, this last year your subjects will be narrowed down according to what it is you wish to be."  
  
"Well..." Sinjaria began.  
  
"We were talking to Harry Potter sir, and..."  
  
"We'd like to become Aurors."  
  
"Hai."  
  
"A very noble job, and one that requires intensive study. Three extra years in fact, so if you're sure..." Dumbledore let the insinuation hang in the air.  
  
The girls mulled it over for a bit before pronouncing they were sure.  
  
"Splendid, would-be-Aurors are plentiful this year so you'll be following the same schedule, with a few alterations as I have mentioned before. Now, how is it you would like to arrange your extra classes?" Dumbledore stood before the fireplace grate, looking thoughtfully into the coals, awaiting their answer.  
  
The Twins were taken aback; they hadn't expected a choice! "We didn't think about it sir, we just figured you would assign us a schedule."  
  
"Leave you out of something that will affect you so much? Never. Professor Snape has assured me that an early morning class would be no problem to arrange for Sinjaria, so have the other teachers."  
  
The next few minutes they debated about exactly how to arrange the early classes. Considering they were going to study to be Aurors, just for the challenge, many of the required courses would be mixed classes. Dumbledore's final copy of the early and late classes became this:  
  
Monday: Potions one hour before dawn, Talianna would then attend Potions with the regular students.  
  
Tuesday: Charms before dawn, with regular classes later for Talianna. Flying would be taken at nine.  
  
Wednesday: Transfiguration would follow the same routine, with an evening class with Dumbledore himself.  
  
Thursday: Then DADA, with Flying at nine.  
  
Friday: And finally Care of Magickal Creatures.  
  
"Seems like you have a full plate here girls, remember, you will also be attending the other 'Auror-training' classes." Dumbledore looked at the schedule they had worked out.  
  
**I sleep through most of the day classes so take good notes Talianna, not that chicken-scratch like last year.**  
  
**Fine,** came the reply, **Can we sleep yet, you woke me up early.**  
  
**No way, if I'm up, you're up.**  
  
"Off you go girls and enjoy this free morning you have, though I'll expect you in Charms and Transfiguration this afternoon. Did you pack any broomsticks?" Dumbledore tied a copy of the schedule to the leg of an old barn owl and handed the girls another copy.  
  
"Yes sir." Talianna said, tickling the old owl before it flew off.  
  
"Might I ask what models?"  
  
"A Firebolt 500 for me sir."  
  
"And a Swiftbolt for me, they're faster and require swifter reflexes as it's a pain to slow, but its great for Quidditch." Sinjaria stated proudly.  
  
"I don't believe I've heard of either."  
  
"That's because they are only the first batch. Chichi's company will be putting them out in a year or two. He's planning on getting the Toyohashi Tengu to test the final production, if he can close the deal it'll wipe the Nimbus from the European leagues; at least, that's the hope." Talianna was so proud of her father.  
  
"Ah yes, well you are sure to put the rest of the school to shame, the best broomstick we have right now is Mr. Potter's a Firebolt 250, and a couple of Nimbus 1500's here or there." Dumbledore let the girls out and they headed back to their room. #The Firebolt 250: naught to two-fifty in twelve seconds! ... Gods, I sound like an advert ^_^; #  
  
Before they left Talianna turned about, "Does that mean we can go flying right now?"  
  
"Yes, it does. Madame Hooch has been complaining about this free block she has managed to acquire, so you may occupy her morning with a few test runs."  
  
"Gladly!"  
  
The girls thanked Dumbledore and rushed off to get Talianna's broom.  
  
**This'll be fun Sin-chan!**  
  
**Just try not to hit too many turrets, I'll be sleeping.** and with that, gentle snoring resounded.  
  
==========***==========  
  
CHAPTER 4.5  
  
==========***==========  
  
"Well now, as you are all still here and breathing neither the results of your examinations or the Dark Lord have prevented your aspirations to become Aurors indefinitely." Snape's lip curled at the unusual assortment of seventh year's before him, "Though I must say that comes as quite the surprise. Now then! We will be reviewing last year's lessons and continuing from there, Mr Longbottom."  
  
Neville leapt to his feet, shaking slightly but clutching his Mimbulus in one arm.  
  
"Do you know what would happen to a Babbling Brew should you mistakenly drip some of your... Companion's fluid into it?" Snape jabbed his wand at Neville's plant to indicate which 'companion'.  
  
All of the Gryffindors winced, Neville's strange obsession with the plant was a little joke amongst the Slytherins, and most were sure Snape had begun such petty rumours that Neville would put the plant before a girl. Of course, it was common knowledge that Snape was still sore about losing the Quidditch Cup for the sixth year to Harry Potter; even the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were beginning to wonder.  
  
However, Snape's remark was lost on an elated Neville.  
  
Neville was only too happy to hear a question he knew the answer to for sure, Snape had reminded him of it several times the previous year. "Y-yes sir! Should essence of Mimbulus Mimbletonia be added to a Babbling Brew it would cause the Brew to turn a shade of puce and all who drink it would immediately begin to grow feverish. The fever would become intense enough to kill inside one hour, thus when making a Babbling Brew no essence of Mimbletonia should be present in the room, as even a small droplet would cause disastrous effects." Neville beamed with pride, he had quoted Snape nearly word-for-word and even Hermione knew he had mentioned every aspect of the problem.  
  
Snape looked down his nose for a moment at Neville before turning away, "A point to Gryffindor," he whispered, barely audible but there nonetheless. "Now, put that foolish plant away, we will be concocting a Babbling Brew today, and I shall have each of you test your own on Friday once it has matured. Instructions," he pointed, "on the board, you know what to do by now I presume." Snape lapsed into brooding silence, ignoring Harry's existence and glaring at the trembling Neville.  
  
That suited Harry just fine as he gathered the required ingredients, sure he had committed the brew to memory already as it had appeared on his final examination the previous year.  
  
Neville was terrified however as he stared at the traces of Mimbletonia juice on his one arm. Before he could all out panic however Hermione helped him, "Locomotor Mimbletonia," the plant moved to a shelf far from their cauldrons, "Scourgify" the juice disappeared entirely and they were all able to get on with the lesson.  
  
Draco sat quietly, making no jabs at Neville or Harry, not even laughing derisively at Snape's 'joke'. He simply copied out the detailed instructions on the board in a solemn, bored scrawl, his silver ink even dripped on the table but he made no move to clean up.  
  
The Ravenclaws, Ernie Macmillan, Padma Patil, Terry Boot, Cho Chang, and Luna Lovegood, were all engrossed in their potion-making and happy to have a near-silent classroom for once. Malfoy's antics while tormenting Neville the previous year had been such as to drive any sane person mad, it was a wonder anyone had passed their exams. The Ravenclaw boys had paired up, as well as the girls, though they left 'Loony' Lovegood on her own.  
  
The single Hufflepuff, Susan Bones, was also absorbed by her work, but partnered up with Neville as they were both often left alone.  
  
The Gryffindors however, were greatly relieved at Draco's silence. They were Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville of course, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, and Parvati Patil. Harry and Ron were paired up on one end of their table, Parvati and Hermione were together as the only female Gryffindors, Dean and Seamus would have skinned alive _anyone_, even a teacher, who tried to separate them.  
  
Draco was the singular Slytherin, alone and partner-less, and yet had the sense to drag his mind out of its gloom to send a thankful look Snape's way for not forcing him to partner up with Luna.  
  
Draco was also the only member of the advanced Potions class, in training to become an Auror, who had not participated in the DA. He didn't know this of course; he had not been in his common room enough to read the advertisement to join, nor the brief history of the group that accompanied it.  
  
**I wish the latest generation of Slytherins weren't so bloody stupid they couldn't even pass their Potions exams. You'd think having the Potions master as their Head of House would give them a fighting chance.** Snape sneered at Neville, causing him to drop the container of Redcap blood he had just pulled from the stores. Susan caught the flask with a simple Hovering Charm, nonetheless Neville's hands were shaking as he measured it out.  
  
Draco sighed in the corner and continued measuring out his own flaked Redcap blood.  
  
Harry was beginning to get worried by the end of class however, Draco hadn't made a sound besides soft sighs. The class had been one of Neville's worst due to the glare of Snape; tripping, dropping and spilling nearly everything but somehow managing to come through alright thanks to Susan.  
  
**I wonder what's up?**  
  
==========***==========  
  
CHAPTER 4.6  
  
==========***==========  
  
A couple hours later the girls returned to their room before lunch, aching and bruised.  
  
Madame Hooch had put Talianna through a basic reflex test, promising Sinjaria the same on Friday. Sinjaria was looking forward to it, her sister was regretting even getting up that morning.  
  
Talianna hadn't hit "too many turrets" she insisted, after all, six wasn't too many. But nonetheless Sinjaria's sleep had been disturbed at the fifth and she had distracted Talianna enough with her curses to hit the sixth one without much bother or chitchat.  
  
Talianna flopped onto the bed, "Whew, I'm beat!"  
  
**You look it, but at least no one saw us up there, hanging by your robes.**  
  
**Yeah, we should clean them up.**  
  
**No, _you_ should. _I_ am going to take a nap before you hit anything else. I don't think I've had a full day's sleep in seven years, not since Chichi gave you that old Nimbus...** the gentle snoring began yet again.  
  
Muttering under her breath Talianna removed her golden robes and hung them on the bedpost.  
  
"Robur Diodorus!" She waggled her wand at the offending garment and instantly the grime disappeared and the robes pressed themselves into form. "That's more like it!"  
  
After donning the garments once more, Talianna lay down on the bed and rested. Just as the regular students were released for lunch, the girls slipped down to the kitchens for a picnic. Getting directions was no problem, they simply asked a couple Gryffindors they were able to stop in the hall.  
  
Sinjaria dozing once more, Talianna traipsed to the grounds and lay down on the grass to eat.  
  
"They've given me _way_ too much food." Talianna groaned, thinking of how she'd had to persuade the over-eager House Elves to give her just _one_ basket of food. "Too bad I don't have anyone to share it with." At that moment three figures came striding out of the front doors.  
  
One of the students spotted Talianna and began to rush in her direction. They waved as the other two bounded after. It was Hermione's happy form that Talianna saw, with Harry and Ron close behind. Talianna waved and the group reached her seconds later.  
  
"Hallo there Talianna, nice weather for a picnic in September, hm?" Ron grinned as Talianna rose and dusted herself off.  
  
"I see you've been to the kitchens." Harry pointed at her overstuffed basket and half-eaten sandwich. "They think we have bottomless guts those House Elves."  
  
Hermione harrumphed; but wished Talianna a good morning.  
  
"Join me?" Talianna lifted up her basket to display the contents to the hungry boys.  
  
"Sure!" Ron sat down and grabbed up a shish kebab and apple. "We would've gone to see you sooner but no one knows where you're staying. Not even the new Prefects!" He made a face that said, if-I-were-Head Boy-I'd-have-known.  
  
Talianna blushed, "In an empty teacher's room to tell the truth."  
  
"No kidding, wow! First no House, then no dorm." Ron's eyes went wide, incredulous.  
  
"Ron!" Hermione and Harry admonished.  
  
"She's had it bad enough with people staring at her in the Great Hall." Harry finished.  
  
Blushing furiously Talianna thanked him.  
  
"So... Why couldn't the Hat Sort you?" All three grabbed sandwiches and looked intently at her.  
  
**Help!** Talianna yipped.  
  
Snoring was her only reply.  
  
==========***==========  
  
CHAPTER 4.7  
  
==========***==========  
  
Talianna had somehow managed to choke on the crust of a sandwich they had been eating when the trio queried them, with a garbled goodbye Talianna left her basket of food to them and rushed off in search of the Hospital Wing.  
  
In actuality they were running from giving away their little secret, most people who had known them their whole lives had thought them odd and treated them strangely, what would new friends do?  
  
Thus, they hid through lunch hour and snuck down to their Charms classroom before anyone else could question them. It was quite empty, other than Professor Flitwick preparing for his class by hiding small items with people's names on them. Talianna spotted a bell with "Miss Yakinimata" marked along one edge, Flitwick hid it behind a stack of cushions across the room.  
  
**Hm, wonder what that's for?** Sinjaria yawned and turned in her sleep.  
  
Later Near the End of Charms...  
  
"Very good Neville, five points to Gryffindor. Mr Weasley, you next." Professor Flitwick smiled graciously at the much-improved student.  
  
"Okay Professor, Triangulum!" Ron did a flip and twist with his wand and a diagram appeared before him in hot pink smoke. It featured a circle, that was the object he had to find, and a small picture of him. Between the two was a white line.  
  
Ron shifted five paces off to the right and the diagram showed another little picture of him. Then a dotted line connected him to the circle. In a flash Ron located where in the room the item was and went back to his desk.  
  
"Now, do we all remember how this spell helps us?" Flitwick turned to them all.  
  
"The spell uses triangulation to find the distance and direction to a hidden or disguised item..." The entire class recited the reason for the spell's existence and its discoverer; it went on for a minute or two and by the end all of their heads hurt.  
  
Five points more went to Gryffindor, then five to Draco for Slytherin, finally Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw received points. A couple of Gryffindors purposely failed in the spell to avoid going on to the next lesson, Neville however, no one was sure either way...  
  
Talianna accomplished it easily, but felt rather uncomfortable with everyone in the class watching her dig her bell out of the squashy cushions. Also, hearing herself mentioned individually by Flitwick was quite disconcerting. Apparently Dumbledore had covered the problem with the students, and told the staff not to mention it.  
  
**I should thank Dumbledore for being so discreet.** Talianna thought, carefully marking her notes with her soft, loopy script. **~SIGH~ I wish I had a boyfriend, but dating is impossible without him figuring us out. Too bad, Harry's a real cutie.**  
  
It was a good thing Sinjaria was fast asleep.  
  
Transfiguration went smoothly, nearly the same people who had been in Charms were in McGonagall's class and as it was review they all did admirably. Hermione had once more swallowed the textbook and succeeded in Transfiguring Ron into a mushroom with the first try. Talianna was partnered with Harry, and was accidentally turned into a form of fungus by Neville when she brushed Harry's bottom and hopped away, yelping in embarrassment.  
  
McGonagall took a House Point from Gryffindor for the error, and reminded Talianna and Neville to keep their minds on the task at hand, not the bottoms of other students.  
  
It was embarrassing, but survivable.  
  
That evening Sinjaria and Talianna rested up in their rooms, as Talianna dozed contentedly behind her sister's mental wall, Sinjaria flitted through that day's notes. She quickly committed every scrap of information to memory, and noted that Talianna's pink Fwooper quill was leaving an odd V shaped mark in gold ink whenever she made a loop.  
  
As Talianna's handwriting was made of many loops this made her notes hard to decipher, and Sinjaria was nigh ready to wake her sister for a translation during a particularly iffy line about the wand motion needed to properly cast the Fungus Transformation on another.  
  
She finally interpreted it, after much consultation with previous pages of notes, and went on to the rest. Where required she dipped her Occamy plume quill in her own silver ink, correcting Talianna's notes or expanding on them, based upon her own periods of awareness. For instance; she noted a large error in the translated paragraph on wand motions, as Talianna had written a diagonal swish was needed at the end though Sinjaria knew for a fact it was vertical.  
  
After making out and altering the notes into perfection Sinjaria so tired from the constant interruptions that she nodded off; it was just after midnight, and she barely woke in time to prepare for her class near six.  
  
==========***==========  
  
CHAPTER 4.8  
  
==========***==========  
  
The next morning began with Sinjaria taking her Charms lesson in the early morning darkness, then Talianna went to breakfast before joining Harry and his group for the full morning's lesson. They were reviewing Summoning and Banishing Charms yet again as they played a major role in the end of year NEWTs.  
  
Everyone was doing just fine, and the class ended without incident, Transfiguration in the afternoon completed Fungal Transfigurations on the rest of the class and first DADA class was cancelled due to lack of teacher. Lupin had been on hand to cover for their overdue new teacher, however it was only three days until the full moon, and Lupin was being well guarded in a disguised chamber of Hogwarts.  
  
Students were beginning to get very concerned for their missing DADA Professor.  
  
"I wonder where he is, y' don't think any of those Death Eaters have captured him already? Do you?" Ron asked Harry later that evening, in Astronomy.  
  
"No, he's supposed to be an Auror."  
  
"Well," Hermione cut in, "that didn't help Moody a bit did it?"  
  
They ignored the truth in this and continued mapping out the Dragon and the Scorpion in the sky.  
  
Firenze was speaking softly to Parvati across the clearing, clearly in a gentle debate about the interactions of the stars and how they could affect happenings on earth. Parvati stoically refused to unlearn all the rubbish Trelawney was continuously feeding her, still claiming that Mars would cause a person under its baleful influence to burn themselves horribly.  
  
Firenze skirted around the subject of Divination, as it was his substituting in the subject which had cost him his home; with the loss of Professor Sinistra in June Firenze had happily accepted Dumbledore's offer of a job.  
  
Dumbledore did not wish Divination to continue, but kept Professor Trelawney teaching her class anyways; his reasons still unknown. Most assumed it was general pity for the useless woman, or the brief spells of true seeing she occasionally had when near Harry.  
  
Far off on the Quidditch Pitch, and out of sight of the other students Sinjaria had just switched with Talianna and was zipping about on the field with Madame Hooch, playing a game of one-on-one Quidditch, until far past curfew.  
  
In the morning it was noted by the rest of the staff that Madame Hooch was sitting quite softly in her seat; an unbelievable rumour actually spread to the students that Hooch had been beaten in Quidditch, by a student no less. By noon most were convinced Harry had taken on Hooch in an all out match that ended with Hooch falling off her broom and spending the night in the hospital.  
  
Ron and Hermione were incredulous as to where such a pile of rubbish had started, Harry had been playing a lively game of chess with Ron well into the wee hours, as Hermione, Neville and several others could verify.  
  
Hooch, as a matter of fact, refused to heed Pomfrey's dire warnings of nasty bruising if she continued to avoid the Hospital Wing. Honour made her wait it out.  
  
The main portion of that day was similar to the previous for Harry and the other Aurors-in-training, an early Transfiguration class that ran into the regular one --- Harry and Ron hadn't been as shocked that McGonagall assigned the first of the year's homework as they had been in Fifth year, -- - DADA was still cancelled as their teacher had yet to arrive, and Care of Magickal Creatures concluded the day.  
  
Hagrid reviewed Bowtruckles, Crups, Knarls and several other hard-to- separate-from-common-things beasts. He stoically refused to let Harry and friends in on what he would be using as their main project, but they were fairly sure they could hear something breaking rocks out behind his hut.  
  
==========***========== 


	6. Chapter the Fifth

CHAPTER 5  
  
==========***==========  
  
Later That Evening...  
  
**What do you think it will be?** Talianna's shoes squealed loudly as they skidded around a corner.  
  
**You woke me up and you don't even know what the lesson is!** Sinjaria fumed, hissed and snarled. **Have you no decorum?!**  
  
**He _did_ schedule this class for both of us.** Talianna paused and gave the password to the stone Gargoyle before them, "Peach Rum Gums", **And you do the same to me all of the time.**  
  
**Yeah, but when I do it its funny.**  
  
**Says you.** Talianna snorted.  
  
They climbed up the staircase still wondering, but the sight of Dumbledore's office was enough to halt their thoughts.  
  
Rather than the darkened stone and walls of old portraits as any would imagine or remember the Headmaster's office to be done in, the room had been completely redecorated in stainless steel and glistening white tiles. Two ovens sat on the ends of a long, white counter and various cooking utensils hung on hooks from the ceiling. A phoenix sat away from all this, garbed in a frilly pink apron and looking highly embarrassed.  
  
Dumbledore stepped out of a back room, a large, starched, white chef's hat in place of his pointed one, and an apron reading, "Kiss the Headmaster" across the front.  
  
Dumbledore coughed to draw their attention from the room's furnishings and back to his twinkling smile.  
  
"Odd as this may sound; your parents requested that you be taught some basic culinary skills. As the House Elves would be insulted if I asked them to teach you, the job falls to me. Since what we will be making will no doubt be inedible, I'm no master chef myself, after dinner seems a very appropriate time."  
  
**Dare you to kiss him.** Sinjaria teased.  
  
**Why?**  
  
**Because his apron says to...** She trailed off, laughing.  
  
Dumbledore laughed when Talianna took Sinjaria's dare and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.  
  
With a flourish of his wand, and blushing hotly, Dumbledore garbed the Twins in a lacy gold apron with "Cheeky" on the front in silver. Talianna blushed like Dumbledore and the word changed to "Rosy."  
  
"Now, for your first lesson." Dumbledore strode over to the length of countertop, brandishing a length of parchment and waving a tin bowl.  
  
One Hour Later and Followed Closely by Noxious Black Smoke...  
  
"I love this apron!" Talianna laughed as the word morphed into "Cutey." "Too bad the casserole burnt."  
  
**Will you shut up; the sun will set soon, and I don't want a headache before the night even begins! And don't forget, it wasn't me who forgot to set the timer.**  
  
"No more classes tonight, doo da! Doo da!" Talianna sang just before they switched and she was shut up for the night.  
  
==========***==========  
  
CHAPTER 5.1  
  
==========***==========  
  
While Sinjaria and Talianna attended 'cooking'...  
  
Harry, Ron and Hermione happily traipsed off to the first DA lesson of the year; Dumbledore had moved Sirius from the Room of Requirement and back to London for a few weeks so it was free for DA use once more.  
  
They found everyone from the original DA, plus many new faces, waiting outside the Room's entrance at one quarter-hour to eight. When they entered Harry found a sheet of parchment labelled "Attendance" and began to take names of all those present, whilst Hermione collected the Sickles everyone provided. There were at least thirty students, from Third year right up to the original members now in Sixth and Seventh.  
  
The majority were Gryffindors, supported by Ravenclaws and a few Hufflepuffs. Halfway through the role-call Harry stopped and was sure Dumbledore had made a mistake. He called out the name anyways, wondering.  
  
"Malfoy, Draco."  
  
Everyone looked at him in shock but, sure enough, Draco stepped out of the shadows of the far right corner and pronounced, "Here."  
  
Excited whispers flew through the class; Draco had seemed so quiet lately. Yet suddenly, just as his eyes locked in on Harry's shocked look he grinned smugly, his old self once more.  
  
"So Potter, you've decided to make yourself a teacher have you? Don't expect me to call you Professor if that's what you're thinking." He sneered, the same aggravating laugh that had followed Harry's mistakes and mishaps throughout his Hogwarts career left Draco's mouth and echoed through the class.  
  
Hermione held out her hat for Draco to deposit his Sickles, he did but with the cruellest look at her that he had ever given. "My my, begging for coins already Mudblood? Well, we Malfoys always have had a soft spot for the unfortunate, why else would my father have tolerated Mudbloods in this school for so long?"  
  
"Only before he was sacked as governor!" Someone shouted from the Hufflepuff group.  
  
Several angry mutters agreed with the anonymous voice.  
  
Hermione said nothing but turned a shade of pink and made to keep Ron from hitting Draco square in the face. She needn't have however, as Harry called out.  
  
"Five points from Slytherin Mr Malfoy, and you would do well to watch your tongue." Harry smiled at Draco's furious face and turned to Ginny, "Ginny, I believe you used your Bat-Bogey Hex on a Death Eater named Mulciber, worked rather well didn't it?" She nodded at Harry.  
  
"Well then, I think our bit of review this year should be the practical uses we put our curses to in June, don't you?" Several hesitant nods, "After all, getting it off our chests with those who'll understand ought to help us all out, and prepare those new to our class for whatever the future holds."  
  
Draco sneered up at Harry as he called out peoples names, asking them to recount the details of June. Many were quite eager to rub it in Draco's face how they had beaten his father's 'friends'.  
  
Thus they all took turns to relate some of the more memorable uses of Bat- Bogey Hexes, Razor Air Jinxes and Expelliarmus as performed in June. Harry noted however, that Draco paid little attention to all the slights on his family's choice of associates; until Harry and several others made mention of their momentary duels with Lucius Malfoy.  
  
He tried to hold his cool façade, but when it came to Harry's battle he paid rapt attention, eyes locked on Harry and seeming to absorb every word. It seemed as if the very news of _how_ his dad had lost was news to him, though everyone knew Lucius had lost in the end. As Harry concluded with Lucius Apparating out of the battle altogether, leaving the other Death Eaters and Voldemort to deal with him, Draco breathed a soft sigh.  
  
It seemed as though Draco had heard nothing of his father, since June.  
  
After all, he couldn't have lived the entire summer out with his mother dead and his father on the run from the law could he?  
  
==========***==========  
  
CHAPTER 5.2  
  
==========***==========  
  
Later that evening  
  
Slipping down the corridors Sinjaria smiled to herself and conjured her Invisibility Cloak from her room. She checked the heavy satchel of various powders, explosives and general nuisance makers for a select few items she preferred to have on hand. "Now for a little fun." Three Dung Bombs, and two Chinese Flame Fizzers were slipped craftily up her sleeve to disappear before she hid the satchel.  
  
Frowning Sinjaria realized she had a small problem, "Where the hell are the Gryffindor dormitories! I need to get to them for this to work."  
  
For twenty minutes she wandered the halls, her bag of 'toys' under her cloak, with no success in finding the Gryffindor dormitories. Suddenly it hit her, "A school map! There'll be a section without classes where the dormitories are. I'll just locate the area it's in and then concentrate on finding the entrance from there." Sinjaria sighed resignedly, "It's that or consult the Ladies and waste another hour with their poker obsession."  
  
She flicked auburn hair from her green/silver eyes and straightened her Cloak before gliding lightly down the three floors to the Hogwarts Library. The door was unlocked, as usual, and she gently pulled it open before stepping inside. With a brief pause to be sure no one was within she began to glace about for a map.  
  
She found one hanging from the far wall, beside Madame Pince's desk, but was sorely disappointed when she checked over each of the floor maps. Four gaping holes near towers or dungeons glared out at her, wilting her momentarily happy grin.  
  
Sinjaria left the Library more discouraged than enlightened. "There are fours houses; of course there would be four areas. But to find Gryffindor's..."  
  
She began wandering the halls again, this time with purpose. First she found a mural of a hawk, soaring over wide fields of wheat. "Ravenclaw." Next came a suit of armour she coaxed into revealing itself as Hufflepuff's entrance. She was heading for the third area, within the dungeons, when the sound of footsteps approaching reached her attuned ears. She was in the main entrance so a teacher passing wouldn't be unusual, but being caught was not in her plan.  
  
Silently she backed up behind a pillar and waited for Filch, whom she thought it was above any other teacher, to pass. The footsteps came closer, and another set began to follow the first, directly behind the sounds of the still-unseen stepper.  
  
Curiously the first set of broke into a muffled run, a badly hurried silencing spell Sinjaria mused. As she thought this an invisible body slammed into her. The invisible person was trying to hide behind the same pillar as she. They both let out yelps of surprise and after a startled exclamation or two began to run, side-by-side. The real Filch was then running straight at them.  
  
Sinjaria could hear his laboured breathing and limping gait as he gave chase, though she could not make out the whispered instructions given to Mrs Norris before the cat dashed away into the dark.  
  
"Tako!" Sinjaria swore, she whipped out her wand and grabbed her partner-in- crime's hand. Furious, she sent decoy shadows running away in all directions to distract Filch, and then took off with her unknown accomplice to the Library.  
  
"We're making too much noise." A male voice came from beside her. Sinjaria was startled for a moment, and then noticed the distinctly male Cranberry cologne as well. Her voice turned icy and she growled at him for voicing the obvious aloud.  
  
"Silencio Extensia." A slightly purple film blanketed them at Sinjaria's words, before vanishing as they passed up the steps to the Library without a breath escaping the spell. Tiny violet sparkles trailed behind them for seconds before they burned out in the hard stone and plush carpets.  
  
Filch could be heard exiting a passageway up the hall, hoping to cut them off, just as Mrs Norris swung down from a statue directly behind. They continued, Sinjaria prayed their speed would get them to the Library before Filch; Mrs Norris was diving at their legs, aiming at the wind their running caused. She caught Sinjaria's hidden accomplice near the ankle and he let out a sharp intake of breath that only she and he could hear.  
  
They made it to the Library just then, followed so closely by Filch it was unnerving, and ducked into the Forbidden Section at Sinjaria's urging.  
  
There they waited, catching their breath and dodging Mrs Norris in the aisles until Filch called her back and they began pacing the halls directly outside. When Sinjaria was sure they had moved on to the stairways once more she heaved a deep sigh and looked at her invisible partner.  
  
"You're in good shape, that was a hell of a run." Sinjaria gasped as she pulled two chairs out and collapsed into one of them, still clutching her fellow nocturnalite by the arm. She unwound her own Cloak and set in on the floor beside the chairs.  
  
"Shh! someone will hear us." The hand, soft but with hidden strength, tried to escape her grip.  
  
"No they won't, no one will hear a thing so long as we stay in contact!" She yanked suddenly and the figure fell heavily into the chair set out for him, "And uphold the spell." A corner of his Cloak slipped off his head to reveal soft, blonde/silver hair and mischievously glaring silver eyes.  
  
He wasn't bad looking so far.  
  
A thought occurred to Sinjaria and she smiled wickedly, grabbing the edge of his Cloak in her free hand. With a yank she pulled off most of the Cloak from his head and shoulders and whistled silently at what she saw. Richly cut black robes, a shirt that really clung to the boy's lithe form, and a small silver stud in his left ear.  
  
"What does the rest of you look like?" Sinjaria grinned and twirled off the rest of the Cloak. "Nice build," She tilted his chin and inspected it as a prospective buyer would a fine animal. Her soft fingers tracing delicately along the curves and angles of his jaw, tracing lines of fire on his skin, "good facial structure, has to be Pure-blood," She mocked him by ignoring his protests, but the indignant look he gave her was priceless, "and one hell of a nasty temper when roused I'll warrant."  
  
"Better believe it!" He smiled and got up with a flourish. Caught off guard her hand slipped from his hand and the shield snapped around them, glittering violet sparks fell to the ground and bounced off their skin, leaving a tingly feel behind.  
  
He gave her a chivalrous bow, "I thank you for the rescue, however the need may have arisen, as I really do _not_ need another detention early in the year. So far Potter has caused enough of those. My name is Draco Malfoy, and I'm afraid I am in your debt. You are?" He raised an eyebrow cutely.  
  
"You should know me already; I am Yakinimata Talianna-Sinjaria." She slipped her Cloak off then and set it aside, "From your Charms, and Transfiguration classes."  
  
"Ah yes, the Unsortable One."  
  
Sinjaria growled.  
  
"Well, some have taken to calling you that Talianna." Draco amended, brushing a still glinting spark from his robes and cocking his head at her.  
  
Sinjaria made a low, animal snarl at the name, "Call me Sinjaria when we meet."  
  
"Meet?" Draco quirked his eyebrow again.  
  
Soft footsteps grew louder in the distance, an awkward, limping gait that bespoke old age. Within the Library a cat mewled, far too close for comfort.  
  
"I'd love to continue appraising you," she slipped her Cloak on again up to her shoulders, "but Filch is on his way, so I need to go. You're all on your own now; do try to work on your silencing spells."  
  
Draco bristled at the slight on his Charms ability.  
  
Cloak up Sinjaria whispered in his ear, "Meet me Friday night, same time." Her lips brushed softly up against his cheek, her breath warm, swept by his ear for a moment as she kissed him gently and dashed off.  
  
"Run." Was the last word he heard from her before he too re-Cloaked and threw up Sinjaria's silencing spell, "Silencio Extensia". Carefully he snuck past Filch on tiptoes, and went back to the Slytherin dorms, deep in the dungeons.  
  
==========***==========  
  
CHAPTER 5.3  
  
==========***==========  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat around the ruins of their breakfast, a game of Exploding Snap in their midst. They had been woken early by Fawkes, with a letter from Dumbledore congratulating them on their successful first DA class.  
  
"How d'you think he knew just what happened?" Ron had asked after reading Dumbledore's point of view on Ron's... Exaggerations. Or as Hermione put it, "You'd think he had cursed the British populace off my back in one go the way he ranted."  
  
They had finished the letter, and their breakfast, long before anyone else had come down to eat. Dean and Seamus had been otherwise engaged, so it came as no surprise that they were completely absent.  
  
After tucking into a couple more rolls they packed up their cards, Harry's were still smoking, and went looking for entertainment. DADA was still cancelled, so they were free until after lunch.  
  
"You thinking what I am, mate?" Ron whipped out his wand, shiny new and courtesy of his older brothers.  
  
Harry drew out his, same as ever but with a new mark along one side, similar to his own scar. He returned Ron's grin and they both called out, "Accio brooms!" Similar to Fred and George's great escape their brooms flew out the Gryffindor tower, through a window they had left open for Fawkes --- when the poor phoenix could get away from Dean and Seamus that is --- and towards the boys.  
  
The brooms zipped down to waist level, Harry's Firebolt 250 in the lead, and Ron's beaten Nimbus 1500 --- second hand --- where they stopped in front of their respective owners.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes heavenward, sighing.  
  
"Quidditch practice starts soon, 'Mione. Might as well get ourselves into shape." Harry gripped his broom tightly, as did Ron, and they raced off to the Pitch, Hermione left on the ground behind.  
  
Harry pointed his wand at the case holding practice balls, releasing a Quaffle and calling it to himself. He and Ron tossed the reddish ball to each other as they waited for Hermione to run into the Pitch.  
  
When she finally appeared Harry called out a few instructions to her, he'd hit on an idea for the DA just then, and she was more than happy to oblige.  
  
As Harry and Ron zipped about the field, playing a little one-on-one, Hermione sent minor curses, hexes, and jinxes at them, trying to disrupt their playing. Ron barely dodged as a flash of orange slid across his left shoulder, he fell into a Sloth Grip Roll and nearly fell off his broom. His shoulder ached numbly, but nothing was sprouting so he was fine.  
  
Seeing his friend was alright, Harry took the opportunity to score once; Ron righted himself and swiftly snagged the Quaffle as Harry tossed it over his head. Hermione kicked it up a notch and began sending spells faster than ever, even tossing some of her portable violet-blue flames right at Harry's nose, preventing him from scoring again.  
  
Ron was in his element now, blocking every attempted score, dodging Hermione's spell work, and making Harry work hard to protect his end and get the ball. Harry was meant to search and catch, not defend from a larger boy and a madly flying ball. The spells were nothing, as he was used to dodging Bludgers with little to no help from the Beaters.  
  
Ron gained an immediate lead, with Harry in no way able to catch up.  
  
Two hours later the boys collapsed, exhausted and needing a shower before lunch. Hermione bounced down from the bleachers, face glowing and out of breath for sending spells.  
  
"Great work you two, Slytherin is going to lose again with that sort of work. I haven't sent so many spells since June, a shame that one that grazed your shoulder didn't work..."  
  
Ron gaped at her, prodding his fully ineffective arm, "I can't feel my left arm and you say it didn't work? What's wrong with you?" Harry nodded to Ron's right, reaching over to flick his friend's shoulder, which Ron ignored.  
  
Hermione glared at him, "I wanted to try something I made, it makes your body numb, like you have no bones or nerves, so you sort of... Flop to the ground. It's not having quite the right effect though."  
  
"'Mione, I know y'didn't wanna hurt me, just test your spell, but next time you feel the urge to, DON'T!" Ron poked his arm, which had wobbled uselessly as he tossed them up at her. The right had gone up just fine; the left just looked and felt dead.  
  
*poke poke*  
  
Harry poked Ron's arm too, "Or try and test it when he isn't eighty feet in the air on a broom doing a hundred-and-forty while dodging other curses." Harry poked Ron's arm extra hard, making it jiggle pathetically.  
  
*poke poke*  
  
"Erm... 'Mione."  
  
"Yes Ron?"  
  
"You did make a counter for this, right?"  
  
*poke poke*  
  
"O dear..."  
  
==========***==========  
  
CHAPTER 5.4  
  
==========***==========  
  
Sinjaria's early class was cancelled due to the DADA teacher's continued absence, though Dumbledore did ask them to join him in his office for another new lesson after breakfast.  
  
Breakfast with the Teacher's wasn't too bad as Sinjaria was lost in private thoughts and Talianna was caught up in a discussion with Professor Sprout as to the various guard plants on their parents' estate, and about how they had had a nasty Devil's Snare infestation over the cellars the past summer.  
  
First thing Dumbledore had them learning some Runes, on request of their parents, in place of their absent DADA teacher. It was somewhat boring as they had to recite a poem --- designed by the Sorting Hat, whose fort( it was --- that would pound the precognitive symbols and expansive meanings into their head.  
  
Sinjaria was completely convinced that she had in fact mixed up her potions before leaving home. Instead of giving her parents a Secrecy Solution, which would have kept them from informing Dumbledore of her existence, she must have slipped them a Meddling Brew in their celebratory sake.  
  
**Note to self: Never ask a certain inept potion maker to gather an ingredient that must be harvested during a certain hour in the day, with a certain knife, and with a certain cut. I don't think her brain can handle complicated instructions.**  
  
Talianna grumbled at her sister that she shouldn't have been trying to conceal herself in the first place, which Sinjaria ignored and continued griping that her potion had been ruined by incompetence.  
  
They smiled at Dumbledore as they left his office after the lesson.  
  
"â«Don't for get to practiceâ«" He sang as he sent them off, still vocally reciting the Runes poem.  
  
Talianna tripped down the stairs from Dumbledore's office, but as soon as Sinjaria was sure there would be no more bone-jarring thuds, she rolled over and began to take a nap.  
  
"Oyasumi Nasai." Snoring.  
  
After a "quick" lunch in the kitchens --- "No really, I can't eat anymore... Okay, just _one_ bun to go to class with." --- and with a small sack of biscuits in tow, they headed off to their Care of Magickal Creatures class at Hagrid's cabin.  
  
"Medea Spate!" Talianna huffed, a countdown timer hover before her face reading thirteen seconds!  
  
**Get a move on it Twinkletoes.** Sinjaria snapped as Talianna fell down the front steps. With bruised toes they hurried forth.  
  
**We're not going to make it!**  
  
**Well duh! But if you _hurry_ even more we won't miss too much of the lesson anyway.**  
  
**Almost there.** Talianna put forth one last burst of speed and made it to the cabin in record time. Still panting, they went over to join Harry and friends, who were waving happily for Talianna to join them.  
  
"Close one Talianna," Ron grinned lopsidedly, the one side of his body looking as though it had been formed from gelatine, "Hagrid hasn't even finished whatever it is he's... erm... preparing out back, so he doesn't know you're nearly late. Not that he'd bother you, mind."  
  
*poke poke*  
  
Ron jabbed at his ribs and left arm with his still mobile right hand. He sighed and frowned at Hermione.  
  
*poke poke*  
  
"O, stop fussing, I'll figure it out tonight..."  
  
*poke poke*  
  
"Sure, but Pomfrey could probably fix this up in an hour."  
  
*poke poke*  
  
"I told you, it'll only spread if you aggravate it..." Hermione ignored Ron's pointed looks, turning back to Talianna, who was wondering what kind of rash Ron had contracted in the last day, and whether it was contagious. "You're alright though, at least this year we only have one Slytherin with us, and Draco's absent or he would have reported you as late. I suppose having no House would make points useless right?"  
  
Talianna blushed so Harry turned the subject back, one hand absently poking Ron's left ear, causing it to 'melt' and flop.  
  
"Three years is much more than enough time to spend Care of Magickal Creatures with a half class of Slytherins." Grimaced Harry.  
  
*poke poke*  
  
Ron's arm seemed to be stretching towards the ground as he prodded his wrist.  
  
"Yeah, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws are just fine; they don't mind our rule- bending; just so long as we work as hard as we can while we're in class." Ron laughed, and then stood as silent as he could, considering his fingers were swinging near his knee, when he heard a squeal from behind the hut. He was very pale and half-clutched Hermione's arm unconsciously.  
  
*poke poke*  
  
Harry, still poking Ron's ear as it drooped to his shoulder, noted that Draco didn't show up when class officially started, which left no Slytherins whatsoever in that day's Care of Magickal Creatures lesson.  
  
*poke poke*  
  
Moments later Hagrid thumped up and began ushering Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs to the back gardens. He was as excited as a little kid as he led them all. He led them past his prized, monstrous pumpkins --- already well fed on large heaps of Dragon Dung --- and into the shadows of the Forest.  
  
Ron literally had to drag his arm after himself as he limped his partially working left leg forwards. Hermione sighed and helped him, "Locomotor Arm" she mumbled, causing Ron's arm to follow her like a faithful puppy.  
  
*poke poke*  
  
Harry followed Ron's ear closely, alongside Talianna --- who was avoiding Ron as though he had the Plague --- and was still nudging it whenever Hermione wasn't glaring at them.  
  
*poke poke*.  
  
"T'day yeh'll be finding yer big project fer the year." Hagrid opened the gate to a walled off area behind his garden, and shadowed by the Forbidden Forest.  
  
"Jus' got these 'ere from Costa Rica, an' a bit o' work it was too." His eyes crinkled up happily, but his words did everything but reassure the students. He showed them all the immense rock garden past the walls just then; however, this was no ordinary or peaceful rock garden. Each small boulder was coated in a thick black slime that was sprouting grey tufts of mossy mould. On the side of each boulder, encased in the mess was an egg, ranging in size from soccer ball to human body bag. The largest reaching to Hagrid's elbows.  
  
"Split in t' pairs an' pick an egg. I'll 'splain these 'ere beauties in a momen'."  
  
*poke poke*  
  
Hagrid spotted Ron and his melting side; he shot a worried look at Hermione who shrugged, slapping Harry's hand away from Ron's foot-long ear.  
  
The class began to tentatively break into groups of two and shifted towards eggs. Ron and Hermione headed directly for the smallest egg of them all, Ron dragging his leg the whole way and his arm charmed, as it seemed the most harmless.  
  
*poke poke*  
  
Blushing sheepishly Harry left Ron's ear alone and partnered up with Talianna; looking for an egg that didn't seem too menacing.  
  
**Take the giant one.** Sinjaria urged.  
  
**Are you nuts!**  
  
**Just try to trust me for once Tal-chan, size is relative.**  
  
Talianna conceded --- her sister often knew best, besides, what would be the point of getting them both killed? They headed over to the largest egg. Hagrid frowned and Harry was ready to bolt like Talianna was a madwoman, but Sinjaria assured her sister it was safer than the other eggs.  
  
Harry and Talianna began talking about nothing in particular as Sinjaria listened to Hagrid's instruction on the creatures.  
  
Hermione finally let Ron be hauled off to the Hospital Wing as, near the end of class, he fell over when he bumped his melting knee on their rock. His side had become semi-fluidic and puddled on the ground directly after. Seeing his student 'melt', and as it was the end of the lesson, Hagrid had pulled out a large bucket, usually used for a garbage bin, and scooped Ron into it. He and Hermione had gone off to see Pomfrey, trying not to swing the bucket too much as Ron's solid parts sloshed about in his fluid body.  
  
**What the heck?** Sinjaria and Talianna had watched avidly as Ron the Puddle was carted off.  
  
"Bet Malfoy would've loved to see that." Neville grumbled nearby.  
  
"Poor Ron..." Moaned Parvati.  
  
"Silly git." Laughed Harry, "He'll be fine in a bit, but 'Mione really should have let him go to the Hospital.  
  
"Aggravating the curse didn't help though," it was Susan Bones who reprimanded Harry, before they all broke up for their dormitories until Potions.  
  
==========***==========  
  
CHAPTER 5.5  
  
==========***==========  
  
Potions...  
  
Severus Snape straightened his sleeves, smoothed out his robes, and flexed his long, nimble fingers routinely before class. He liked to look as imposing as possible, and to be as quick as possible to draw his wand when needed, these simple, nearly ritualistic motions helped him slip into the natural second skin of a cold, indifferent man.  
  
He cinched his cloak about his shoulders and, with a bare moment before class so as to ensure all would be present, he trod out of his chambers.  
  
It was a very short walk to the Potions classroom from there for any normal man; his stride was so long and fluid however, that it took him half the time. His cloak billowed out behind him, giving already fearful students the foreboding impression that the shadows themselves followed at his heels like living darkness. Hell hounds of liquid ink, there at his beck and call.  
  
He was careful to further ingrain the impression as students... Got to 'know' him over the years.  
  
He paused only long enough to open the classroom's door, and took in every detail of his variegated class as he advanced on his dark, oak desk.  
  
Longbottom was still clinging to his pathetic Mimbulus, and sitting surprisingly close to Susan Bones. It seemed as though he had gotten over his phobia of everything in Hogwarts that wasn't a plant, though a relapse would be likely.  
  
Weasley was absent, though his little Mudblood wench was still rigidly fixed, front and centre, as a thorn in his side. Potter had positioned himself in the far right corner, jabbering like an ape to the Japanese twins. No doubt he hadn't heard of the more... Slytherin of the two. It was a shame Dumbledore had asked all the staff to keep quiet on the Twins' situation; for unknown reasons as per Dumbledore's usual manner.  
  
Snape smiled inwardly, his façade not budging an inch as he reached his black chair and leaned casually over it; caressing the polished maple accents, the spidery threads and bands of different woods, gradually darker bands near the middle of the back that lent the impression of gathering darkness. When sitting in that chair, cloak splayed around him and his eyes, piercing black eyes, fixed on a person before him... It was a very unnerving picture.  
  
Those before him could see the barest echo of that imposing glare as he surveyed them all; the students' eyes followed his, fearing they would be the first to incur his ire that day, and all became quiet as he scowled at them. Reminiscent of a hawk that had spotted prey he zeroed in on Draco Malfoy.  
  
The boy had finally gotten enough out of the DA and his father's letter to stop moping about, though faint traces of sadness touched at his eyes. Otherwise the little git's smirking face was nothing new, though Severus had to admit the boy had improved, grown up as it were. He had yet to fully enshroud himself in the shadows of the world around him, but he could become a truly cruel and brilliant Member, should he so choose.  
  
Whether he would end up as his father, his mentor, or himself was anyone's guess. Severus was putting bets on none, as Draco was known to shock him at times.  
  
Taking up with Umbridge, cancelling his arranged Pure-blood marriage to Parkinson --- well, maybe that wasn't too unexpected, though Severus had been sure he would have done it for his father --- and now this latest...  
  
Severus focussed on the entire class, including where Potter was still talking to the twins.  
  
"Mr Potter." His cold tones rang through the class and the student in question clapped his mouth shut instantly, turning to face Severus with a strange look of... Humour? **We'll see about that!** He saw Draco smirk wider in the corner, "Ten points from Gryffindor for interrupting my class, Mr Potter. Now, do try to keep your mouth shut for more than a moment or you will all be writing an essay tonight on the virtues of silence."  
  
He flicked his eyes to Seamus Finnigan, who was stroking his partner's arm quite inappropriately, "Mr Finnigan, please explain to the class all of the uses of a Unicorn in potion-making."  
  
Seamus stumbled through, with whispered help from Hermione --- Snape deducted ten more points from Gryffindor --- until he was finished.  
  
Dean then recited the uses of common, non-magickal plants for the class to hear.  
  
By the time Snape was finished with the two boys Gryffindor had lost over fifty points and their throats were so raw they would be doing no snogging for weeks. Both pined for their voices and snogging privileges but nonetheless were quite as active cuddling in the halls before dinner.  
  
To top off a terrible Potions class, Harry had slipped up when Talianna asked him why Snape was being so mean to Dean and Seamus; he had explained to her that Snape was an incorrigible git with no appreciation for two people who like each other.  
  
What made it a slip up is that Snape had overheard them and assigned the threatened essay, due Monday morning; also giving Harry his first detention of the year, to be served in the Dungeons Friday evening.  
  
With Snape.  
  
==========***==========  
  
CHAPTER 5.6  
  
==========***==========  
  
At supper that evening while Talianna ate her dinner Sinjaria reprimanded her when she heard about the potions class. One redeeming fact was that Talianna had managed to copy down everything the two bois had said, and everything Snape had said when correcting them, less insults.  
  
After supper Talianna stumbled off to their chambers and pulled out her notebook of parchment, and her quill and ink.  
  
She paused, waiting for Sinjaria to tell her about Care of Magickal Creatures as Talianna had zoned while Sinjaria had been painfully awake.  
  
**Those cocoons were Glitshigs, when they hatch into larval form they are covered in plates and spines --- because the egg mass is consumed to build the armour the size of the egg remaining before hatching is directly proportionate to the armour strength. Therefore, the larger the egg mass left, the weaker and less dangerous the Glitshig will grow to be. _That's_ why I said to go for the bigger egg, I read up about them last summer during a _very_ boring night.** Sinjaria explained to her sister.  
  
Her highly bored sister resignedly copied down all of her explanations, but paid just enough attention to omit the reprimands.  
  
Talianna had been far too interested in flirting with the Boy-Who-Lived to hear a word from Hagrid, same for Harry and the Unsortable One; but he had the sponge-like brain of Hermione to bother notes out of.  
  
Talianna stumbled down the steps from their room an hour later, their brooms in hand, for an evening Flying lesson. After a severe bruising in stop-time tests Talianna landed and Sinjaria came out. Madame Hooch set up the Pitch for a reflex test, but near the start she blinked and lost sight of her student, whose broom was zipping along at such a fantastic rate that her image blurred.  
  
"Too bad you're not in House." Hooch said when Sinjaria marvellously finished her half-hour reflex test, "You would make a great addition to a Quidditch team."  
  
"I played Seeker on my father's Company team."  
  
"Thought so, well you'd best be off. Nothing else for you to do."  
  
"We could have another game of one-on-one.." Looking scandalized Hooch sent Sinjaria from the Pitch and on her way.  
  
Sinjaria waved good-bye and headed for her room, quite aware that Madame Hooch had seemed terrified by her request for another match, and also aware that Hooch was still sitting lightly on her broom.  
  
She locked her sister's mind away and strapped her broom into its specially fitted leather case. Talianna's broom, sporting far more scratches and dents, rested against the far wall beside their washroom.  
  
With a deep sigh Sinjaria dug through a drawer for a good book, and read the same page for hours as she pictured her 'date' with Draco the following night.  
  
The morning seemed to take forever to come, when Sinjaria finally got up to get to her Care of Magickal Creatures lesson she shuddered. The Glitshig she had picked out for her sister may turn out to be semi-harmless, but from what she had read even a deformed one was trouble. Besides, the embryonic project could have a growth spurt yet.  
  
*Yawn* "Goddess I'm tired, Tal-chan should be okay without me today, it's a quiet day. She's just lucky I wrote that essay for her already. I'll take a good _long_ nap this afternoon..." She yawned once more and trooped up to Hagrid's hut. The bucket that had transported Ron to the hospital wing the day before was in full use again, Hagrid was just pouring some slops from the previous night's dinner into his pigs' trough when Sinjaria slipped out of the shadows and into view.  
  
"'Lo there m'dear. I'll not be havin' yeh work on much this mornin', jus' a simple review o' Bundimuns. Seems Professor Snape has complained about' a bit o' a problem in the firs' floor's supports." Hagrid laughed, picturing old Snape tromping through the Dungeons, he considered Scouring Charms beneath him, he'd rather employ someone else, as unwilling as possible when available, "So o' course he's havin' me teach yeh all how to get rid o' 'em. Yeh can bet he'll have a half dozen Gryffindors servin' detention wi' him tonigh', jus' as soon as yeh all have a use to him." He harrumphed then and beckoned Sinjaria around the corner.  
  
"Aren't you a little out of your field with Bundimuns? A Scouring Charm is what gets rid of them, so I thought either Professor Flitwick or out DADA teacher would cover such pests." She flipped a lock of shiny hair out of her right eye as Hagrid showed her to a temporary 'floorboard' built to preserve a few dozen Bundimuns in the dark and dirt.  
  
He blinked at her is surprise, "Well, naw. They aren' thought of as real troublemakers see? So Defence ain't needed, all they'll eat is dirt, an' as to Charms, Flitwick let me have this one 'cause he got to show 'em a Scouring Charm back in Third year." He pointed to the mossy green mass under the 'floorboard'; it blinked dully at him.  
  
"'S only a review after all."  
  
Ron was completely healed by the time regular classes started, much to Hagrid's relief, though Harry still tried to make Ron's ear melt by prodding it with an Elongating Stick --- compliments of the Weasley Twins' secret beginning of the year delivery to the Gryffindor tower --- every few minutes.  
  
Talianna tried to be as careful as possible during her lessons that day, slipping up only once in Care of Magickal Creatures when a frightened Bundimun dodged her Scouring Charm and ran up her leg, smelling some dirt on her knee.  
  
The Bundimun had been halfway up her thigh when Harry had turned purple, cursed the offending creature into a greyish powder, and caused Talianna's robes to flip up à la Marilyn Monroe.  
  
Of course, the revealing of so much pale skin had caused Harry and three other boys to break into fan-boy nosebleeds, Hagrid reluctantly led them all to the Hospital Wing, though Hermione had insisted she could heal them in a wink.  
  
"Trus' me 'Mione, these aren' yer usual nosebleeds." Hagrid had said as he had left.  
  
Potions class had been as horrible as it usually was; Draco had been in Care of Magickal Creatures, hiding near the back so he hadn't gotten the full dose of nosebleed, thus he had rushed to tell Snape all about it during the break between classes.  
  
Snape, highly amused and determined to ruin whatever fond memories Harry might have of the moment, spared no area of his expansive and insulting vocabulary as he proceeded to humiliate Harry and the others in spectacular fashion. The sounds of Talianna's mortified whimpers had woken Sinjaria, who added a little mental background noise to help Talianna take the lesson in.  
  
**Of course, Draco will probably think those were my legs he saw. O well, saves me the blush stage.**  
  
Charms ended the day on a low note as Flitwick assigned more homework than even McGonagall had on Wednesday. Ron griped about the load of homework from all classes but DADA.  
  
"That's one thing this new chap's done right, he hasn't shown up to give us _more_ work!"  
  
Of course, the next few hours were spent coaxing Hermione to help them, the patented, "How'd you like the guilt of us failing to graduate on your conscience 'Mione?" technique worked wonders, and they had even begun the first three inches of their ten inch Transfiguration essay on Fungals when Harry had to go to detention with Professor Snape.  
  
==========***==========  
  
CHAPTER 5.7  
  
==========***==========  
  
Sinjaria kicked Talianna's broom aside as she opened the portrait; she then tossed her robes aside and treated herself to a long, luxurious bath.  
  
Little green bubbles floated throughout their quarters when she finished, going to clean her robes but finding them already cleaned, pressed and folded beside a small meal of long-grained white rice and steamed Bok Choi.  
  
She batted the bubbles away and put on her robes, gingerly tucking into her food with a pair of black lacquered chopsticks, before she reached for a small silver and green makeup bag.  
  
"Evening Ladies," Humming an old ballad to herself she began to apply mascara to her long, full lashes and blush to her smiling cheeks.  
  
"Why so happy?" The Black Lady asked.  
  
"I'm going to meet Draco tonight, you know," she dabbed silver eye shadow carefully onto her lids, "that silver-haired Bishounen I mentioned."  
  
She carefully lined her eyes in a charcoal grey.  
  
"Ah yes, the young Slytherin is rather dashing isn't he. We've seen him wandering around at night causing problems for the Gryffindors, quite the dare-devil a few times."  
  
"I personally don't believe the boy sleeps, not good for him." The White Lady tittered.  
  
"A man who looks that good on that little sleep can do what he pleases." The Black Lady stated, smiling down on Sinjaria's happy countenance.  
  
"Mm hm." Silver tinted, black polish was the next in her entourage.  
  
"So where are you meeting him?" White Lady piped.  
  
Sinjaria's hand let go of the polish at that and slowly, so slowly it seemed to her as though an hour passed before it touch down, when it hit the ground and shattered. Tiny shards bounced around her feet as the liquid spread out in a pool of shimmering black, she took a step back and everything sped up to normal time. "Repairo, Accio!" The polish bottle fixed itself and floated up to her, even as the dark puddle spread over an exquisite foot rug.  
  
"Kuso!" Sinjaria began cleaning the mess and swearing at her own incompetence.  
  
She bundled the ruined floor mat in her arms and set it in a corner for the House Elves.  
  
"We take it you forgot to mention a meeting place?"  
  
"No kidding. Not only did I leave that one out, but we'll both be wearing Invisibility Cloaks and using Silencing Spells!" She broke off into another string of curses so fervent that the wallpaper began to tear across the room.  
  
"Calm down, we're pretty sure he will have realized that too." Black Lady began.  
  
"And he'll surely go somewhere you have been before to meet you." White Lady finished.  
  
"Maybe, I'd better go." She headed off, invisible, to the corridor they'd met in before. She stood in the corner and waited.  
  
==========***==========  
  
CHAPTER 5.8  
  
==========***==========  
  
"Bloody hell! She never said where to meet her." Draco carefully dabbed Cinnamon cologne on near his jaw line and readjusted his silver cufflinks for the hundredth time.  
  
**Where would she go, she must have realized the same by now. Where, where, where?** He mused, hair carefully arranged and brushed to a silver sheen. **The corridor!** He threw on his Cloak and headed down the stairs from the Slytherin dorms, averting his eyes and ignoring the stomach-turning noises coming from the bed his lackeys, Crabbe and Goyle, shared.  
  
Just minutes later he arrived and hopped in what he was sure was the corner they had met in.  
  
==========***==========  
  
**Where could he be? This is the right corner, I'll wait just fifteen minutes and then I'm gone.**  
  
==========***==========  
  
**It's been fifteen minutes, maybe she went to the Library instead.** He stretched his legs for a moment and then headed off to the Library.  
  
==========***==========  
  
**Where is he?** Sinjaria grumbled, **It's been a half-hour. Maybe the Library.** She shifted her sore muscles and hurried off.  
  
A few minutes more and she came to the Library doors. A soft blue glow was visible and unmistakably coming from the Forbidden Section, while Filch's loud boot steps were echoing from the next corridor over.  
  
Bolting inside Sinjaria whipped around the bend to the glow, "Your light isn't invisible Baka, and Filch is coming." She snapped after dropping her Silencing Spell. Immediately the floating glow disappeared and the two invisible students stood quietly in the dark --- listening to Filch walk by.  
  
A large explosion shook the castle --- coming from the Ravenclaws' dorm area.  
  
"Remind me to thank Peeves." Draco dropped his Cloak when Filch ran cursing up to the disaster.  
  
"How do you know it was him?" Sinjaria dropped her Cloak to the floor as well and inhaled his Cinnamon cologne fully. Her eyes closed halfway at the scent and she leaned in to him.  
  
"Ravenclaws are always punctual to bed as well as classes. Unless they one day win the Quidditch Cup." He amended.  
  
"You know where their dorms are too?"  
  
"A Hawk mural is a bit of a dead giveaway." Draco smiled charmingly at her, "How is it you know about it?"  
  
"I was looking for the Gryffindor Dorms the other night, and ended up running into you." Sinjaria slipped closer to the handsome Bishounen and smiled back.  
  
He wrapped his arm about her middle then, "Now why would you go there, we Slytherins are much more fun."  
  
They began to come together until they were nose-to-nose, lips coming together and locking, hands roving until they fell to the floor linked together.  
  
==========***========== 


End file.
